Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland

Sixth edition

Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland cover

Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland

Sixth edition

Quantity
Pre-order. Available Mar 12 2026
$42.30

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

Description

A fully updated and expanded edition of the essential field guide to British Odonata, featuring unrivalled full-colour artwork of all 58 species.

Adult dragonflies are among the largest and most spectacular insects alive today, and their beautiful colours, phenomenal aerobatic skills and habit of flying only in warm, sunny weather make them easy to observe. Now in its sixth edition, this practical guide will help you to distinguish between all 58 species, with fascinating descriptive accounts and insect-watching tips. Stunning paintings by renowned wildlife artist Richard Lewington allow for quick and accurate identification, and the guide also features an identification key to the larvae of all the resident and migratory dragonfly and damselfly species.

This sixth edition has been fully revised in light of recent unprecedented changes in the range of many of our species, as well as consolidation by new colonists. Updated regional guides, flight-period charts and distribution maps help you to determine when and where to see each species, and the authors have included tips on how to use digital photographs to record and identify dragonflies and damselflies observed in the field. All the species descriptions have been fully revised to include the latest information on life history, biology and ecology, supplemented by more than 50 additional artworks and 125 photographs that are new for this edition.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Life history
Distribution
Dragonfly habitats
Dragonflies and the law


Regional guides

Identification
Introduction to the families
Key to dragonfly larvae
Species descriptions
ZYGOPTERA DAMSELFLIES
Calopterygidae Demoiselles
Lestidae Emerald damselflies
Platycnemididae White-legged damselflies
Coenagrionidae Red damselflies and blue damselflies
ANISOPTERA DRAGONFLIES
Aeshnidae Hawker dragonflies
Gomphidae Club-tailed dragonflies
Cordulegastridae Golden-ringed dragonflies
Corduliidae Emerald dragonflies
Libellulidae Chaser, skimmer and darter dragonflies

Further reading
Addresses
Checklist of Odonata of Great Britain and Ireland
Index

Product details

Published Mar 12 2026
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 6th
Extent 224
ISBN 9781399418157
Imprint Bloomsbury Wildlife
Illustrations Colour photos, artwork and maps throughout
Series Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Steve Brooks

Steve Brooks became fascinated by dragonflies when…

Author

Steve Cham

Steve Cham has had a life-long interest in natural…

Illustrator

Richard Lewington

Richard Lewington is an acknowledged leader in the…

Related Titles

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