Pronged Clubtail female Gomphus graslinii © John Muddeman

List of the Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Madrid
by John Muddeman
Updated October 2012

This list is based on our base list for Iberian & Macronesian odonates and what is apparently the only relatively recent revision of Odonata in Madrid (Javier García-Avilés 2002), which can be found in the article downloaded here. However, largely thanks to photographs published on the Biodiversidad Virtual website, several additonal species have been recorded since then, including Pronged Clubtail, Green Hooktail, Vagrant Emperor and Long Skimmer, as well as the recent reconfirmation of Faded Pincertail over a century after it was first, and last, recorded. The presence of Orange-spotted Emerald listed in this work, but not in the much more recent Atlas and Red Data Book of Threatened and Critically Threatened Spanish Invertebrates (Verdú & Galante 2009), needs reconfirming.

Taxonomy and nomenclature

Nomenclature and systematic treatment follows that of Dijkstra & Lewington (2006), except for modifying the vernacular and scientific names of Banded Groundling to Northern Banded Groundling (Brachythemis impartita).

Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis © John Muddeman

Distribution

In total 59 species (24 damselflies; 35 dragonflies; 25 genera; including 1 uncertain species and genus) of Odonata have been recorded in Madrid.

Surprisingly perhaps, Madrid has apparently one of the least recorded dragonfly faunas of Spain to date, despite being relatively rich in species diversity given its surface area, with most of the data lodged in dispersed and rather obscure or difficult to obtain, and sometimes ancient references. Consequently, all records in the future are very welcome.

Please feel free to contact me to comment on the list, as my aim is to provide more detailed information, hopefully in the form of a provisional atlas, in the future.

If you'd like to observe and photograph dragonflies in Madrid or Extremadura, join me on a Dragonflies, Birds & Butterflies tour to Extremadura or contact me for options for a Tailor-made Trip

List

Bibliography

Javier García-Avilés. 2002. Biodiversidad de los humedales del Parque Regional del Sureste. II. Libélulas. Serie Documentos 36. Centro de Investigaciones Ambientales de la Comunidad de Madrid “FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ BERNÁLDEZ” 62 pp.

Verdú, J. R. y Galante, E., eds. 2009. Atlas de los Invertebrados Amenazados de España (Especies En Peligro Crítico y En Peligro). Dirección General para la Biodiversidad, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Madrid, 340 pp.