Dragonflies in Spain – A guide to Odonata

Dragonflies are beautifull insects, large in size, diurnal, with unique behaviours, specific in their ecology and habitat requirement and mostly active in summer time. Dragonfly watching gained a lot of interest in recent years thanks to modern identification guides and, above all, the rise of digital photography era. Non specialists can nowaydays easily identify species on pictures and enjoy adult dragonflies and damseflies live in the field.

Table of contents

• Dragonflies-watching in Spain. An introduction.

• Odonates in Spain. Prunier, Cabana and Miralles-Nuñez (2024).

• Dragonflies of Spain: checklist (1/7/2024).

Dragonflies-watching in Spain

Information specific to Andalusian odonatofauna is highlighted in blue color in this particular page. First of all, I would like to stress the importance and interest of our country for dragonflies… Spain hosts one of the most diverse and unique fauna in Europe. Check G3-guides dragonfly tours and fiel trip reports.

The community of European dragonfly observers is very active and possibly the most comospolitan of any other invertebrates groups across the continent. We are open-minded fellows that share information and promote citizen sciences. Odonatological parties do like to socialize in the evenings after a day long sunny fieldwork at the waterside. All in all, observing dragonflies is probably one of the most enjoyable lifestyle.

Books: field guides

The European dragonfly fauna is so modest in its diversity that the best guides cover the whole continent.

• Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe (2nd edition) by Dijkstra, Schröter, and Lewington. The 2006’s first edition became the instant bible thanks to its “wholeness” :  complete coverage (all species, updated maps and 1.000 drawings), modern format for the field and treatment easy to catch for beginners.
• Europe’s Dragonflies: A Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies by Smallshire and Swash. A perfect complement to Dijkstra’s with its full array of photos.
  

Superb bilingual book (Portuguese, English): The Dragonflies of Portugal As Libélulas de Portugal by Maravalhas and Soares.

Seasonality – best time to visit

Phenology: three main periods for observing dragonflies in Europe. Rare/endangered species are often flying during the spring. Then appears the bulk of species in summer and only a few dragonflies become more abundant in autumn.

Dragonflie are on the flight all the year round in the Mediterranean Bassin, typically Sympetrum striolatum is present in small numbers during winter. The peak season for Odonata takes place in May – June in Andalusia and July – August in Northern Spain. Among our hihlights, Zygonyx torridus is generally a early summer flyer, often abundant only at the end of our peak ; adult Sympetrum sinaiticum appears usually in autumn.

Species list of dragonflies in Spain

Although Odonata taxonomy is stable in Europe, new species are still appearing: some dragonflies are colonizing the continent mainly from the South and even new taxa for Science are still being discovered in our territory, especially in Mediterranean Peninsulas.

Look at our updated Spanish checklist at the end of this webpage. You can also download the Andalusian list of Odonata. As a general rule for observers: dragonfly densities and diversity are often low at a particular site in the Mediterranean region… and completing a list of target species usually implies the visit of multiple sites.

Dragonfly watching evolution

Collecting specimens (traditionnal entomology) is still in the forefront of odonatology but the rise of purely observation methods changed completely the game. Nowadays in Europe, most observers identify their dragonflies in the field through binoculars and cameras.

Check our “History of odonatology in Spain”. Observing without collecting allows for more visits… which turns into a better understanding of the dragonflies present in a region. It becomes easier to organize field trips exploring a wider range of habitats. In a well planned expedition, it is possible to list 50 dragonfly species within a few days.

Dragonfly, the adult insect

The image of an adult comes immediatly in mind… Beware, within a species, immatures, matures males and females are different in colouration. Males are conspicuous and defend territories actively. Damselflies are present in higher densities and their moderate flying power eases observations.

Libellulids are often perching on stems near the water, while Pincertails (Onychogomphus) seat on peebles. Aeshnids fly over the water for long times (their identification in flight needs training) and rest away among high vegetation. Macromia is even worst and elusive. Cordulegaster is also a strong flyer with breeders mostly restricted to shady streams. Gomphids spend most of their time away from the rivers and appear in small numbers despite emerging in much larger quantities.

Exuviae for the serious student

Collecting exuviae offers a completely different approach to odonatology. The larval skin is fragile but offers a non-invasive way to study dragonfly populations. They are beautifull on their own and fulfill the spirit of picking material in the field. This field craft allows to understand better dragonflies and their habitat.

New guides are available for identifying exuviae. In Spanish, Larvas de libélulas en la península ibérica 2ª Edición (Conesa, 2022).

Responsible behaviour and ethics

Protecting dragonflies implies to observe regulations in protected areas and obtain permissions before entering private areas. Special permits are usually required to catch dragonfies and collect specimens for scientific purposes, even for common species, even if those regulations are mostly useless to achieve practical conservation of aquatic biodiversity. In the few cases of extremelly rare odonates, it is still vital to minimize disturbance of the larval habitat. Generally speaking, when you join a group of observers, beware not to disturb the insect at its landing perch…

Odonates in Spain

Prunier, Cabana and Miralles-Nuñez published the following introductory paper on Spanish dragonflies in the Book of Abstracts of the 7th European Congress On Odonatology (ECOO 2024). The original pdf can be downloaded.

Spain is the fourth largest European country with little more than 500.000 square kilometres. It belongs, together with Portugal, to the Iberian Peninsula, that is the Westernmost continental area in Eurasia and one of the only three Mediterranean peninsulas in Europe. Spanish geography is indeed more complex with the country accounting with the Balearic and Canary archipelagos and small enclaves in Africa (Ceuta and Melilla).

Dragonfly biodiversity in Spain

Such a singular territory is home to 83 dragonfly species, with an additional three diseappeared species and one doubtful, that is 60% of the European Odonata with recent data available for Macaronesia (Weihrauch et al., 2016) and Balearic islands (Rebassa & Canyelles, 2022).

General distribution of Odonata

Although wetlands are scarce in Autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, mass migration of Anax ephippiger is occasionally observed. As a general rule, the widespread European dragonflies are generally distributed in mainland Spain (Prunier et al., 2015). Various factors shape the Spanish odonatofauna.

Climate and altitude

A huge heterogeneity characterizes the Spanish climate, with a general gradient of aridity from North West to South East. The mild and wet Atlantic climate in NW Spain (Galicia, Cantabrian coast) is abruptly substituted by Mediterranean conditions -very dry summers- that are typical in most parts of Spain (Catalonia, Valencia, Andalucía) and even desert-like in SE (Murcía, East of Andalucía). Between the coasts, two inland mesetas (Castilla y León and La Mancha) are famous for their continental feel and temperature extremes, while high mountain ranges (Cantabrian, Pyrenees, Sistema Ibérico, Sistema Central, Betic range) offer a diverse topology and create “climatic islands” all over the territory.

Finally, the large river valleys (Ebro, Tajo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir) can be described as steppic lowlands mostly transformed into intensive farming areas. They still support interesting endorheic wetlands and their estuaries make up humid areas of international importance (Doñana, Delta del Ebro).

Climate and topography explain greatly the diversity of freshwater ecosystems in Spain and as consequences the richness of the dragonflies in both lentic and lotic habitats. In addition, the geographical position of the Iberian Peninsula as a stepping stone between two continents contribute largely to its odonatological community, resulting in a mix of African and Euro-Siberian elements, enriched with SW Palearctic endemisms.

Northern mountains and uplands

The Iberian Peninsula is isolated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees, a natural barrier for some odonates restricted in southern France, but also a refuge for species not expanding southward Iberia: Cordulegaster bidentata and Platycnemis pennipes fly over Pyrenean streams whereas Leucorrhinia dubia, Coenagrion hastulatum and Somatochlora metallica inhabit mountain lagoons (locally known as “ibón”). Other scarce Spanish dragonflies, such as Sympetrum flaveolum, Aeshna juncea and Lestes sponsa are restricted to northern mountain ranges (Pyrenees, Cordillera Cantábrica, Sistema central) and Northern Plateau.

Endemic dragonflies in Spain

The isolation of the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe has produced two endemic taxa: one subspecies of Sympetrum vulgatum ibericum mainly distributed in continental Spain (and expanding slightly in French Pyrenees) and the recently described Onychogomphus cazuma present in mountains near the Mediterranean coast, roughly from Valencia to Andalusia. The subspecies Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis asturica Ocharan, 1983 is still regarded as valid by some researchers.

Western European endemisms have spreaded beyond the Pyrenees, mainly associated with gently flowing rivers: Macromia splendens, Gomphus graslinii, Gomphus simillimus show patchy distribution in Spain while Boyeria irene, Onychogomphus uncatus, Calopteryx xanthostoma, Platycnemis latipes and P. acutipennis are much more abundant. Finally, Gomphus pulchellus is often associated with lentic habitats.

A few dragonflies are distributed both in Western Europe and the Maghreb. Some are much more abundant north of the Strait of Gibraltar such as Ischnura graellsii, the commonest damselfly in Spain, or Coenagrion mercuriale and Oxygastra curtisii, which ranges reach northern Europe. On the contrary, Orthetrum nitidinerve and Onychogomphus costae are very common in Morocco and scattered in Spain.

African expansions in Europe

In contrast with Euro-Siberian elements, southern Spain has a rich community of dragonflies of African origin. Most species seem to have arrived several decades ago, such as Brachythemis impartita, Diplacodes lefebvrii, Orthetrum trinacria or Trithemis annulata. Orthetrum chrysostigma was even known from this territory in the 19th century. The last arrival, Trithemis kirbyi, was detected in Andalucia in 2007 and rapidly colonised much of eastern Spain, south-east of Portugal and reached France and even Belgium in 2022.

Mediterranean corridor

Mediterranean territories are extensive in Spain allowing for a rich community of dragonflies: species restricted to the Mediterranean region and adapted to its climatic conditions. Typical mediterranean aquatic ecosystems: temporary wetlands colonized by Lestes spp. and Sympetrum fonscolombii; small intermittent streams with tiny water flow, especially good for threatened species such as Coenagrion caerulescens, C. mercuriale and Orthetrum nitidinerve; rivers of medium size with coarse substrates that favour a rich community of gomphids and other SW Palearctic endemics.

The faded pincertail (Onychogomphus costae) is a bit of an exception, since it is mostly present in lowland and larger rivers. Sympetrum sinaiticum is distributed along the Mediterranean Basin, from Spain to the Middle East, but is absent from other European countries. In Spain, it is distributed along the Mediterranean coast and hinterland. Selysiothemis nigra is another exception which spread from Asia along the Mediterranean Basin and is mostly distributed in Eastern Spain.

Macaronesia – Canary Islands

Canary Islands are part of the Macaronesian archipelago. This isolated territory supports 16 dragonfly species, among them, Sympetrum nigrifemur is endemic from the Canaries and Madeira, and Zygonyx torridus is quite widespread in the Canaries. Four extra African species are present in the area and currently not found in mainland Spain: Trithemis arteriosa, Ischnura saharensis, I. senegalensis, and the recently detected Orthetrum ransonnetii.

Scarce species

Bibliography

Dragonflies of Spain: up-to-date checklist

This following check list of dragonflies and damselflies present in Spain is the most up-to-date (1/7/2024) and was pubished in the Book of Abstracts of the 7th European Congress On Odonatology. It covers the Spanish territories in the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic islands and Canary archipelago, including recent additions and information on breeding (X), doubtfull (?), diseappeared (✝) and accidental (Acc.) species. In total, 87 taxa were observed so far in Spain.

More information is available in the brief account on the history of odonatoly in Spain.