Here’s my list of 79 breeding species recorded in mainland Spain and Portugal, distilled from Iberian Wildlife Tours, though this list includes one locally extinct species, Lindenia tetraphylla (Bladetail) and one that Dijkstra/Lewington does not show in Spain, Trithemis kirbyi (Orange-winged Dropwing).
We have explored very little of Spain so most of our “ticked-off” species have been seen elsewhere in Europe.
Zygoptera (Damselflies)
- Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Copper Demoiselle)
- Calopteryx virgo meridionalis (Beautiful Demoiselle)
- Calopteryx xanthostoma (Western Demoiselle/Yellow-tailed Demoiselle)
- Chalcolestes viridis (Western Willow Spreadwing/Willow Emerald Damselfly)
- Lestes barbarus (Migrant Spreadwing/Southern Emerald Damselfly)
- Lestes dryas (Robust Spreadwing/Scarce Emerald Damselfly)
- Lestes macrostigma (Dark Spreadwing)
- Lestes sponsa sponsa (Common Spreadwing/Common Emerald Damselfly)
- Lestes virens virens (Small Spreadwing/Small Emerald Damselfly)
- Lestes viridis (Western Willow Spreadwing/Willow Emerald Damselfly)
- Sympecma fusca (Common Winter Damselfly/Winter Damselfly)
- Ceriagrion tenellum (Small Red Damsel/Small Red Damselfly)
- Coenagrion caerulescens (Mediterranean Bluet)
- Coenagrion hastulatum (Spearhead Bluet)
- Coenagrion mercuriale (Mercury Bluet/Southern Damselfly)
- Coenagrion puella (Azure Bluet/Azure Damselfly)
- Coenagrion pulchellum mediterraneum (Variable Bluet/Variable Damselfly)
- Coenagrion scitulum (Dainty Bluet/Dainty Damselfly)
- Enallagma cyathigerum (Common Bluet/Common Blue Damselfly)
- Erythromma lindenii (Blue-eye/Goblet-marked Damselfly)
- Erythromma viridulum (Small Redeye)
- Ischnura elegans (Common Bluetail/Blue-tailed Damselfly)
- Ischnura graellsii (Iberian Bluetail)
- Ischnura pumilio (Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly)
- Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Large Red Damsel/Large Red Damselfly)
- Platycnemis acutipennis (Orange Featherleg/Orange White-legged Damselfly)
- Platycnemis latipes (White Featherleg)
- Platycnemis pennipes (Blue Featherleg/White-legged Damselfly)
Anisoptera (Dragonflies)
- Aeshna affinis (Blue-eyed Hawker/Southern Migrant Hawker)
- Aeshna cyanea (Blue Hawker/Southern Hawker)
- Isoaeschna isoceles (Green-eyed Hawker/Norfolk Hawker) [3]
- Aeshna juncea (Moorland Hawker/Common Hawker)
- Aeshna mixta (Migrant Hawker)
- Anax ephippiger (Vagrant Emperor)
- Anax imperator (Blue Emperor/Emperor Dragonfly)
- Anax parthenope (Lesser Emperor)
- Boyeria irene (Western Spectre/Dusk Hawker)
- Brachytron pratense (Hairy Hawker/Hairy Dragonfly)
- Gomphus graslinii (Pronged Clubtail)
- Gomphus pulchellus (Western Clubtail)
- Gomphus simillimus (Yellow Clubtail)
- Gomphus vulgatissimus (Common Clubtail/Club-tailed Dragonfly)
- Lindenia tetraphylla (Bladetail) [1]
- Onychogomphus cazuma (Cazuma Pincertail) [2]
- Onychogomphus costae (Faded Pincertail)
- Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus (Small Pincertail/Green-eyed Hooktail)
- Onychogomphus uncatus (Large Pincertail/Blue-eyed Hooktail)
- Paragomphus genei (Green Hooktail)
- Thecagaster bidentata (Sombre Goldenring)
- Cordulegaster boltonii (Common Goldenring/Golden-ringed Dragonfly)
- Macromia splendens (Splendid Cruiser)
- Cordulia aenea (Downy Emerald)
- Oxygastra curtisii (Orange-spotted Emerald)
- Somatochlora metallica (Brilliant Emerald)
- Brachythemis impartita (Northern Banded Groundling)
- Crocothemis erythraea (Broad Scarlet/Scarlet Darter)
- Diplacodes lefebvrii (Black Percher)
- Leucorrhinia dubia (Small Whiteface/White-faced Darter)
- Leucorrhinia pectoralis (Yellow-spotted Whiteface/Large White-faced Darter)
- Libellula depressa (Broad-bodied Chaser)
- Libellula fulva (Blue Chaser/Scarce Chaser)
- Libellula quadrimaculata (Four-spotted Cahser)
- Orthetrum brunneum (Southern Skimmer)
- Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer)
- Orthetrum chrysostigma (Epaulet Skimmer)
- Orthetrum albistylum (White-tailed Skimmer)
- Orthetrum coerulescens (Keeled Skimmer)
- Orthetrum nitidinerve (Yellow-veined Skimmer)
- Orthetrum trinacria (Long Skimmer)
- Selysiothemis nigra (Black Pennant)
- Sympetrum flaveolum (Yellow-winged Darter)
- Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter)
- Sympetrum meridionale (Southern Darter)
- Sympetrum pedemontanum (Banded Darter)
- Sympetrum sanguineum (Ruddy Darter)
- Sympetrum sinaiticum tarraconensis (Desert Darter)
- Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)
- Sympetrum vulgatum ibericum (Moustached Darter/Vagrant Darter)
- Trithemis annulata (Violet Dropwing/Violet-marked Darter)
- Trithemis kirbyi (Orange-winged Dropwing)
- Zygonyx torridus (Ringed Cascader)
[1] – Now thought to be extinct in Spain.
[2] – Newly described in 2020.
[3] – Formely in the Aeshna genus.
Trithemis kirbyi (Orange-winged Dropwing) is becoming very common in the Valencia area this year, I have already photographed several in the last few months including some visiting my garden pond as late as November.
I came across your site while trying to identify another species which may be something I have not see before. Like a small darter, very dark below the abdomen but yellow to red on top, brown thorax and bright red Stigmas with thin dark borders. I will not be able to process the photos until next month as I have a 7 week backlog.
Actually just a Common Darter casting a dark shadow by its abdomen being close to the stone it was on, but a new species for me as they are far from common here, the Red-veined Darter being much more numerous.