The order of the odonates includes the dragonflies and damselfliesIt has a relatively low number of species compared to other insect orders. Its ecological interest as a bioindicators of aquatic habitat qualitytogether with their beauty, has made them popular with both scientists and the general public. Nowadays, their distribution and taxonomy are fairly well known, and in recent decades, numerous field guides for identification.
The guide that we recommend for identifying odonate species in Spain and Europe is the "Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe: 2nd edition", by K-D Dijkstra et al. This is an updated 2020 guide that provides very detailed illustrations of key characters to identify the species. In addition, it also has beautiful photographs, information on the biology and ecology of odonates, as well as advice on how, when and where to observe themincluding specific locations for each European country.
In addition to this fantastic guide, several field guides and atlases have been produced that are useful for finding out which odonate species are found in the different regions of our country. Below, we have compiled several resources that are available free of charge to the public.
Free guides and atlases to identify odonates on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands
| Title | Geographical scope | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Update of the provincial inventory of Odonata of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands | Mainland Spain and Balearic Islands | Article |
| Atlas of Odonates of the Murcia Region | Region of Murcia | Book |
| Key to the identification of the Odonata of the Basque Country 2nd ed. | Basque Country | Book |
| Guide to Dragonflies of the Balearic Islands | Balearic Islands | Poster |
| Odonata Guide to Cordoba | Province of Cordoba | Book |
| Guide to Orchids, Dragonflies and Horses of Extremadura | Extremadura | Book |
| The dragonflies and damselflies of La Rioja | La Rioja | Article |
| Dragonflies of the Gran Senda de Málaga and its province. Identification guide | Province of Malaga | Book |
| Second Atlas of Odonates in Andalusia: Incorporating 25 years of Research | Andalusia | Article |
In the identification guides you will see that it is not complicated. differentiate species at a glanceSo with a little practice, you'll be able to easily name the ones you come across on your next walk.
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