Damselflies and Dragonflies

Order Odonata¹

Dragonflies and damselflies have a long abdomen and is easily told apart from other insects. Damselflies have thinner abdomen in comparison to dragonflies.

There are 133 species in Singapore.²

Dragonfly at NTU. Damselfly at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Dragonfly at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee. Female Common Parasol at Mandai Orchid Garden ©Lau SY

Damselflies

1. Crenulated Spreadwing (Lestes praemorsus)
2. Great Spreadwing (Orolestes wallacei)
3. Slender Spreadwing (Platylestes heterostylus)
4. Singapore Shadowdamsel (Drepanosticta quadrata)
5. Blue-spotted Flatwing (Podolestes orientalis)
6. White-faced Clearwing (Echo modesta)
7. Green Metalwing (Neurobasis chinensis)
8. Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)
9. Charming Flashwing (Vestalis amoena)
10. Plain Flashwing (Vestalis gracilis)
11. Fiery Gem (Libellago aurantiaca)
12. Clearwing Gem (Libellago hyalina)
13. Golden Gem (Libellago lineata)
14. Orange-faced Gem (Libellago stigmatizans)
15. Malayan Grisette (Devadatta argyoides)
16. Black Velvetwing (Dysphaea dimidiata)
17. Blue-sided Satinwing (Euphaea impar)
18. White-tailed Sylvan (Coeliccia albicauda)
19. Twin-spotted Sylvan (Coeliccia didyma)
20. Telephone Sylvan (Coeliccia octogesima)
21. Yellow Featherlegs (Copera marginipes)
22. Variable Featherlegs (Copera vittata)
23. Shorttail (Onychargia atrocyana)
24. Collared Threadtail (Prodasineura collaris)
25. Orange-striped Threadtail (Prodasineura humeralis)
26. Interrupted Threadtail (Prodasineura interrupta)
27. Crescent Threadtail (Prodasineura notostigma)
28. Blue Slim (Aciagrion hisopa)
29. Variable Wisp (Agriocnemis femina)
30. Marsh Wisp (Agriocnemis minima)
31. Dwarf Wisp (Agriocnemis nana)
32. Wandering Wisp (Agriocnemis pygmaea)
33. Bebar wisp (Amphicnemis bebar)
34. Will-o-wisp (Amphicnemis gracilis)
35. Blue-nosed Sprite (Archibasis melanocyana)
36. Rebecca's Sprite (Archibasis rebeccae)
37. Violet Sprite (Archibasis viola)
38. Variable Sprite (Argiocnemis rubescens)
39. Ornate Coraltail (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum)
40. Fiery Coraltail (Ceriagrion chaoi)
41. Common Bluetail (Ischnura senegalensis)
42. Arthur's Midget (Mortonagrion arthuri)
43. Hooked Midget (Mortonagrion falcatum)
44. Dryad (Pericnemis stictica)
45. Look-alike Sprite (Pseudagrion australasiae)
46. Blue Sprite (Pseudagrion microcephalum)
47. Grey Sprite (Pseudagrion pruinosum)
48. Orange-faced Sprite (Pseudagrion rubriceps)
49. Cryptic Shadesprite (Teinobasis cryptica)
50. Red-tailed Sprite (Teinobasis ruficollis)

Dragonflies

1. Emperor (Anax guttatus)
2. Arrow Emperor (Anax panybeus)
3. Spoon-tailed Duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata)
4. Small Duskhawker (Gynacantha bayadera)
5. Spear-tail Duskhawker (Gynacantha dohrni)
6. Dingy Duskhawker (Gynacantha subinterrupta)
7. Nighthawker (Heliaeschna crassa)
8. Lesser Nighthawker (Heliaeschna uninervulata)
9. Paddletail (Oligoaeschna amata)
10. Leaftail (Oligoaeschna foliacea)
11. Giant Hawker (Tetracanthagyna plagiata)
12. Malayan Hooktail (Acrogomphus malayanus)
13. Arthur’s Clubtail (Burmagomphus arthuri)
14. Splayed Clubtail (Burmagomphus divaricatus)
15. Lesser Splayed Clubtail (Burmagomphus plagiatus)
16. Malayan Grappletail (Heliogomphus kelantanensis)
17. Common Flangetail (Ictinogomphus decoratus)
18. Ris’ Clubtail (Leptogomphus risi)
19. Forktail (Macrogomphus quadratus)
20. Malayan Spineleg (Merogomphus femoralis)
21. Tiny Sheartail (Microgomphus chelifer)
22. Banded Hooktail (Paragomphus capricornis)
23. Pond Cruiser (Epophthalmia vittigera)
24. Stream Cruiser (Macromia cincta)
25. Lesser Stream Cruiser (Macromia cydippe)
26. Emerald (Hemicordulia tenera)
27. Shadow Dancer (Idionyx yolanda)
28. Trumpet Tail (Acisoma panorpoides)
29. Blue Adjudant (Aethriamanta aethra)
30. Scarlet Adjudant (Aethriamanta brevipennis)
31. Pond Adjutant (Aethriamanta gracilis)
32. Grenadier (Agrionoptera insignis)
33. Handsome Grenadier (Agrionoptera sexlineata)
34. Blue Dasher (Brachydiplax chalybea)
35. Black-tailed Dasher (Brachydiplax farinosa)
36. Pixie (Brachygonia oculata)
37. Common Amberwing (Brachythemis contaminata)
38. Sultan (Camacinia gigantea)
39. Green-eyed Percher (Chalybeothemis fluviatilis)
40. Lined Forest-skimmer (Cratilla lineata)
41. Dark-tipped Forest-skimmer (Cratilla metallica)
42. Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia)
43. Black-tipped Percher (Diplacodes nebulosa)
44. Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis)
45. Water Monarch (Hydrobasileus croceus)
46. White-tipped Demon (Indothemis carnatica)
47. Restless Demon (Indothemis limbata)
48. Scarlet Grenadier (Lathrecista asiatica)
49. Bombardier (Lyriothemis cleis)
50. Coastal Glider (Macrodiplax cora)
51. Scarlet Pygmy (Nannophya pygmaea)
52. Striped Grenadier (Nesoxenia lineata)
53. Rare Parasol (Neurothemis disparilis)
54. Common Parasol (Neurothemis fluctuans)
55. Riverhawk (Onychothemis testacea)
56. Blue Sentinel (Orchithemis pruinans)
57. Variable Sentinel (Orchithemis pulcherrima)
58. Spine-tufted Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysis)
59. Common Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum glaucum)
60. Slender Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum)
61. Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)
62. Scarlet Skimmer (Orthetrum testaceum)
63. Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)
64. Mangrove Marshal (Pornothemis starrei)
65. Common Chaser (Potamarcha congener)
66. Banded Skimmer (Pseudothemis jorina)
67. Mangrove Dwarf (Raphismia bispina)
68. Common Redbolt (Rhodothemis rufa)
69. Bronze Flutterer (Rhyothemis obsolescens)
70. Yellow-barred Flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis)
71. Small Bronze Flutterer (Rhyothemis pygmaeus)
72. Sapphire Flutterer (Rhyothemis triangularis)
73. Potbellied Elf (Risiophlebia dohrni)
74. Elf (Tetrathemis irregularis)
75. White-barred Duskhawk (Tholymis tillarga)
76. Saddlebag Glider (Tramea transmarina)
77. Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora)
78. Indigo Dropwing (Trithemis festiva)
79. Dancing Dropwing (Trithemis pallidinervis)
80. Treehugger (Tyriobapta torrida)
81. Scarlet Basker (Urothemis signata)
82. White Duskdarter (Zyxomma obtusum)
83. Slender Duskdarter (Zyxomma petiolatum)

References

1. World Odonata List
2. List of damselfly and dragonfly species present in Singapore