Photograph courtesy of the Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

The Emperor Dragonflies (Odonata: Aeshnidae) of South Africa Compiled by Tanza Crouch and Tessa Hedge Department of Entomology & Arachnology, Durban Natural Science Museum, P O Box 4085, Durban, 4000 South Africa Tel: +27 [0]31-311 2243       Fax: +27 [0]31-311 2242

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Yours is the access since 1st January 2000

Photograph courtesy of Hamish Robertson, South African Museum

Family: AESHNIDAE Buchecker

1. Genus: AESHNA Fabricius 1775: 424
   1. A. ellioti usambarica Förster

      Aeshna ellioti usambarica Förster 1906: Jber. Ver. naturk. Mannheim 71þ72: 48
      Western Cape, Northern Province, to Ethiopia; April

      
      
   2. A. minuscula McLachlan

      Aeshna miniscula McLachlan 1896: Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6)17: 421
      Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Northwestern Province, to Namibia; September to May

      
      
   3. A. subpupillata McLachlan

      Aeshna subpupillata McLachlan 1896: Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6)17: 422
      Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Northern Province, to Zimbabwe; October to January, April

      
      
   
   
2. Genus: ANACIAESCHNA Sélys 1878: 317
   1. A. triangulifera McLachlan

      Anaciaeschna triangulifera McLachlan 1896: Ann. Mag/nat. Hist. (6)17: 409
      KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, to equatorial Africa; December to February, May

      
      
   
   
3. Genus: HEMIANAX Selys 1883: 723
   1. H. ephippiger (Burmeister)

      Aeschna ephippigera Burmeister 1839: Handb. Ent. 2(II)2: 840
      Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, to north Africa and India; December, January and April

      
      
   
   
4. Genus: ANAX Leach 1815: 137
   1. A. imperator mauricianus Rambur

      Anax imperator mauricianus Rambur 1842: Ins. Neur. **: 184

      = Aeschna dorsalis Burmeister 1839: Handb. Ent. 2: 842
      Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Northwestern Province, to Europe and western Asia; October to June

      
      
   2. A. speratus Hagen

      Anax speratus Hagen 1867: Verh. Zool. þbot. Ges. Wien 17: 46
      Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Northern Province, to equatorial Africa; October to February

      
      
   3. A. tristis Hagen

      Anax tristis Hagen 1867: Verhandl. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien 17: 46
      KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, to Zimbabwe and equatorial Africa; **

      
      
   
   
5. Genus: GYNACANTHA Rambur 1842: 209
   (= Triacanthagyna Sélys)
   1. G. manderica Grünberg

      Gynacantha manderica Grünberg 1902: Sber. Ges. naturf. Freunde Berlin 9: 234
      Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, to Somalia and Ivory Coast; December, March to May

      
      
   2. G. villosa Grünberg

      Gynacantha villosa Grünberg 1902: Sber. Ges. naturf. Freunde Berlin 9: 233
      KwaZulu-Natal, to Tanzania and Senegal; October and December

      
      
   3. G. zuluensis (Balinsky)

      Acanthagyna zuluensis Balinsky 1961: J. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 24: 79
      KwaZulu-Natal, to Malawi; December and January