Trithemis – Dropwings

146. Violet Dropwing – Trithemis annulata –  European Dragonfly photo

The Violet Dropwing  ( Trithemis annulata ) in the first photograph illustrates how the Dropwings were given their English name. This is a very common dragonfly throughout Africa with its range expanding into Spain during the last years of the 1970’s and into France and Italy in the 1990’s.

KEY I/D FEATURES

The purple frons, red veins with an amber base to the hindwings and plum coloured body all good identification features on mature males. When perched in the obelisk position they make a very attractive photograph.

Females have yellow – brown abdomens with a black bar on Segments 8-9 and large yellow patches at the base of the hindwings.