Steve Brooks was a research scientist at the Natural History Museum for 38 years until he retired in 2017. He has published numerous scientific articles on dragonflies. Steve Cham is a member of the British Dragonfly Society’s Dragonfly Conservation Group. In 2011 he received the RES Marsh Award for outstanding achievements in insect conservation.Richard Lewington FRES is one of Europe’s finest wildlife illustrators. In 2010 he was awarded Stamford Raffles Award for contribution to zoology.

An exceptionally good field guide; it is well written, superbly illustrated, and published to a very high standard … an essential addition to the bookcase of anyone interested in this group of insects, and I strongly recommend it.

• 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

Steve Brooks was a research scientist at the Natural History Museum for 38 years until he retired in 2017. He has published numerous scientific articles on dragonflies. Steve Cham is a member of the British Dragonfly Society’s Dragonfly Conservation Group. In 2011 he received the RES Marsh Award for outstanding achievements in insect conservation.Richard Lewington FRES is one of Europe’s finest wildlife illustrators. In 2010 he was awarded Stamford Raffles Award for contribution to zoology.

An exceptionally good field guide; it is well written, superbly illustrated, and published to a very high standard … an essential addition to the bookcase of anyone interested in this group of insects, and I strongly recommend it.

• 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

Steve Brooks was a research scientist at the Natural History Museum for 38 years until he retired in 2017. He has published numerous scientific articles on dragonflies. Steve Cham is a member of the British Dragonfly Society’s Dragonfly Conservation Group. In 2011 he received the RES Marsh Award for outstanding achievements in insect conservation.Richard Lewington FRES is one of Europe’s finest wildlife illustrators. In 2010 he was awarded Stamford Raffles Award for contribution to zoology.

An exceptionally good field guide; it is well written, superbly illustrated, and published to a very high standard … an essential addition to the bookcase of anyone interested in this group of insects, and I strongly recommend it.

• 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