The Insect Atlas for Namibia currently includes some Lepidoptera (butterflies only, at the moment) and Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies).
If you have photos of these groups that could be used on the website, spreadsheets or notebooks of historic records, or would like any further information, please contact us.
Recently submitted butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly records
The following list of records includes verified records and those awaiting verification of species groups you are interested in which have been recently added in your area.
- Painted Lady(Vanessa cardui)
24.63535S 15.95842E on 29/05/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Painted Lady(Vanessa cardui)
25.27888S 15.93268E on 29/05/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Charaxes, Koppie(Charaxes jasius)
19.88666S 13.93824E on 24/05/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Monarch, African(Danaus chrysippus)
19.885S 13.93887E on 21/05/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Purple-tip, Queen(Colotis regina)
22.74835S 17.12685E on 10/05/2025 by Brown, Chris - Migrant, African(Catopsilia florella)
22.74835S 17.12685E on 10/05/2025 by Brown, Chris
- Monarch, African(Danaus chrysippus)
22.5743S 17.12431E on 05/04/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Monarch, African(Danaus chrysippus)
17.89855S 23.61072E on 18/02/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Grass Yellow, Broad-bordered(Eurema brigitta)
17.98168S 24.11625E on 17/02/2025 by Walters, Matthew - Monarch, African(Danaus chrysippus)
17.98168S 24.11625E on 17/02/2025 by Walters, Matthew
Submit your butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly records
Maps of records, descriptions, photos
Choose from the list below or Explore all butterfly records
Choose from the list below or Explore all dragonfly and damselfly records
| Acacia Sprite Pseudagrion acaciae | View photos and description | View records |
| African Pygmy Basker Aethriamanta rezia | View photos and description | View records |
| Angolan Whisp Agriocnemis angolensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Assegai Sprite Pseudagrion assegaii | View photos and description | View records |
| Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta | View photos and description | View records |
| Black Emperor Anax tristis | View photos and description | View records |
| Black Percher Diplacodes lefebvrii | View photos and description | View records |
| Black Sprite Pseudagrion commoniae | View photos and description | View records |
| Black-faced Dancing Skimmer Nesciothemis farinosa | View photos and description | View records |
| Black-tailed Bluet Azuragrion nigridorsum | View photos and description | View records |
| Black-winged Flutterer Rhyothemis fenestrina | View photos and description | View records |
| Black-winged Widow Palpopleura lucia | View photos and description | View records |
| Blue Basker Urothemis edwardsii | View photos and description | View records |
| Blue Cascader Zygonyx natalensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Blue Emperor Anax imperator | View photos and description | View records |
| Bold Leaftail Phyllogomphus selysii | View photos and description | View records |
| Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea | View photos and description | View records |
| Brown Dusk-hawker Gynacantha villosa | View photos and description | View records |
| Bumhill Whisp Agriocnemis bumhilli | View photos and description | View records |
| Butterfly Flutterer Rhyothemis mariposa | View photos and description | View records |
| Cataract Hooktail Paragomphus cataractae | View photos and description | View records |
| Catshead Sprite Pseudagrion coeleste | View photos and description | View records |
| Cherry-eye Sprite Pseudagrion sublacteum | View photos and description | View records |
| Clubbed Cruiser Phyllomacromia overlaeti | View photos and description | View records |
| Clubbed Hooktail Paragomphus sabicus | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Bluetail Ischnura senegalensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Fairytail Lestinogomphus angustus | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Hooktail Paragomphus genei | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Orange Ceriagrion glabrum | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Riverjack Mesocnemis singularis | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Thorntail Ceratogomphus pictus | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Threadtail Elattoneura glauca | View photos and description | View records |
| Common Tigertail Ictinogomphus ferox | View photos and description | View records |
| Coral-red Orange Ceriagrion corallinum | View photos and description | View records |
| Corkscrew Hooktail Paragomphus elpidius | View photos and description | View records |
| Cryptic Spreadwing Lestes dissimulans | View photos and description | View records |
| Dancing Broad-legged Jewel Platycypha caligata | View photos and description | View records |
| Dark Dropwing Trithemis aequalis | View photos and description | View records |
| Dark Sprite Pseudagrion deningi | View photos and description | View records |
| Darting Cruiser Phyllomacromia picta | View photos and description | View records |
| Deceptive Widow Palpopleura deceptor | View photos and description | View records |
| Denim Dropwing, Donaldson's Dropwing Trithemis donaldsoni | View photos and description | View records |
| Elegant Dropwing Trithemis werneri | View photos and description | View records |
| Epaulette Skimmer Orthetrum chrysostigma | View photos and description | View records |
| Ferruginous Glider, Voyaging Glider Tramea limbata | View photos and description | View records |
| Friendly Hawker Zosteraeshna minuscula | View photos and description | View records |
| Fuelleborn's Spectacular Zygonoides fuelleborni | View photos and description | View records |
| Glaucous Sprite Pseudagrion glaucescens | View photos and description | View records |
| Glistening Demoiselle Phaon iridipennis | View photos and description | View records |
| Global Wanderer Pantala flavescens | View photos and description | View records |
| Gracious Whisp Agriocnemis gratiosa | View photos and description | View records |
| Grizzled Pintail Acisoma panorpoides ascalaphoides | View photos and description | View records |
| Guinea Skimmer Orthetrum guineense | View photos and description | View records |
| Hamon's Sprite Pseudagrion hamoni | View photos and description | View records |
| Hartmann's Hooktail Crenigomphus hartmanni | View photos and description | View records |
| Hecate Dropwing Trithemis hecate | View photos and description | View records |
| Helen's Sprite Pseudagrion helenae | View photos and description | View records |
| Hintz's Skimmer Orthetrum hintzi | View photos and description | View records |
| Horned Hooktail Crenigomphus cornutus | View photos and description | View records |
| Horned Rock-dweller Bradinopyga cornuta | View photos and description | View records |
| Inspector Chalcostephia flavifrons | View photos and description | View records |
| Jaunty Dropwing Trithemis stictica | View photos and description | View records |
| Julia Skimmer Orthetrum julia falsum | View photos and description | View records |
| Katambora Orange Ceriagrion katamborae | View photos and description | View records |
| Kavango Hooktail Crenigomphus kavangoensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Kersten's Sprite Pseudagrion kersteni | View photos and description | View records |
| Keyhole Glider Tramea basilaris | View photos and description | View records |
| Kokytos Siphontail Neurogomphus cocytius | View photos and description | View records |
| Little Dusk-hawker Gynacantha manderica | View photos and description | View records |
| Little Percher Diplacodes deminuta | View photos and description | View records |
| Little Skimmer Orthetrum abbotti | View photos and description | View records |
| Little Whisp Agriocnemis exilis | View photos and description | View records |
| Long Skimmer, Slender Skimmer Orthetrum trinacria | View photos and description | View records |
| Long Slim Aciagrion heterosticta | View photos and description | View records |
| Luminous Percher, Barbet Percher Diplacodes luminans | View photos and description | View records |
| Machado's Skimmer Orthetrum machadoi | View photos and description | View records |
| Massai Sprite Pseudagrion massaicum | View photos and description | View records |
| Monard's Dropwing Trithemis monardi | View photos and description | View records |
| Monk's Hood Dropwing Trithemis aconita | View photos and description | View records |
| Navy Dropwing Trithemis furva | View photos and description | View records |
| Nubian Sprite Pseudagrion nubicum | View photos and description | View records |
| Old World Twister Tholymis tillarga | View photos and description | View records |
| Orange Emperor Anax speratus | View photos and description | View records |
| Orange Whisp Agriocnemis ruberrima albifrons | View photos and description | View records |
| Orange-winged Dropwing, Rock Dropwing Trithemis kirbyi ardens | View photos and description | View records |
| Pale Bluet Africallagma subtile | View photos and description | View records |
| Pale Scarlet Crocothemis divisa | View photos and description | View records |
| Pallid Spreadwing Lestes pallidus | View photos and description | View records |
| Pearly Flasher Aethiothemis solitaria | View photos and description | View records |
| Phantom Flutterer Rhyothemis semihyalina | View photos and description | View records |
| Pied-spot Hemistigma albipunctum | View photos and description | View records |
| Pinhey's Spreadwing Lestes pinheyi | View photos and description | View records |
| Pleasant Orange Ceriagrion suave | View photos and description | View records |
| Quarré's Fingertail Gomphidia quarrei | View photos and description | View records |
| Rapids Dropwing Trithemis morrisoni / Trithemis palustris | View photos and description | View records |
| Red Basker Urothemis assignata | View photos and description | View records |
| Red Groundling Brachythemis lacustris | View photos and description | View records |
| Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii | View photos and description | View records |
| Red-veined Dropwing Trithemis arteriosa | View photos and description | View records |
| Ringed Cascader Zygonyx torridus | View photos and description | View records |
| Robust Skimmer Orthetrum robustum | View photos and description | View records |
| Rock Hooktail Paragomphus cognatus | View photos and description | View records |
| Ruby Sprite Pseudagrion rufostigma | View photos and description | View records |
| Salisbury Sprite Pseudagrion salisburyense | View photos and description | View records |
| Shadow-bridge Widow Palpopleura portia | View photos and description | View records |
| Sjoestedt's Sprite Pseudagrion sjoestedti | View photos and description | View records |
| Slender Bottletail Olpogastra lugubris | View photos and description | View records |
| Small Scarlet Crocothemis sanguinolenta | View photos and description | View records |
| Southern Longleg Notogomphus praetorius | View photos and description | View records |
| Southern Snorkeltail Mastigogomphus dissimilis | View photos and description | View records |
| Spectacled Skimmer Orthetrum icteromelas | View photos and description | View records |
| Spotted Spreadwing Lestes tridens | View photos and description | View records |
| Strong Skimmer, River skimmer Orthetrum brachiale | View photos and description | View records |
| Sudan Sprite Pseudagrion sudanicum rubroviride | View photos and description | View records |
| Swamp Bluet Africallagma glaucum | View photos and description | View records |
| Swamp Darter Trithetrum navasi | View photos and description | View records |
| Swamp Emperor Anax bangweuluensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Swamp Groundling Brachythemis wilsoni | View photos and description | View records |
| Swamp Tigertail Ictinogomphus dundoensis | View photos and description | View records |
| Tough Skimmer Orthetrum stemmale | View photos and description | View records |
| Tropical Threadtail Elattoneura cellularis | View photos and description | View records |
| Twilight Groundling, Banded Duskdarter Parazyxomma flavicans | View photos and description | View records |
| Two-banded Cruiser Phyllomacromia contumax | View photos and description | View records |
| Two-striped Skimmer Orthetrum caffrum | View photos and description | View records |
| Vaal Sprite Pseudagrion vaalense | View photos and description | View records |
| Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger | View photos and description | View records |
| Victoria Whisp Agriocnemis victoria | View photos and description | View records |
| Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata | View photos and description | View records |
| Yellow-veined Widow Palpopleura jucunda | View photos and description | View records |
| Zambezi Siphontail Neurogomphus zambeziensis | View photos and description | View records |
Other resources
- Frank Suhling and Andreas Martens (2007). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Namibia. Gamsberg MacMillan: 280-page field guide including keys, photos, comprehensive information.
- Frank Suhling and Andreas Martens (2014). The Dragonfly Larvae of Namibia. Libellula Supplement 13: 5-106: Paper including descriptions, keys and diagrams.
- Frank Suhling and Andreas Martens (2014). Distribution Maps and Checklist of Namibian Odonata. Libellula Supplement 13: 107-175: Checklist of the Odonata of Namibia and up-to-date distribution maps of 130 species.
Top contributors to the atlas of insects
Butterflies - Records
Ranked by number of records| Observer | No. of records |
|---|---|
| Walters, Matthew | 4187 |
| Ward, David | 4088 |
| Peters, Raymond | 717 |
| Braine, Steve | 646 |
| Singleton, Alex | 471 |
| Nghidengwa, Martha Ndinohamba | 116 |
| Kelezo, Fetuho | 67 |
| Tony Robertson, Alice Jarvis | 36 |
| Mostert, Madelene | 26 |
| Steyn, Jessica | 25 |
Butterflies - Species
Ranked by number of species| Observer | No. of species |
|---|---|
| Singleton, Alex | 90 |
| Braine, Steve | 88 |
| Ward, David | 83 |
| Walters, Matthew | 80 |
| Peters, Raymond | 61 |
| Kelezo, Fetuho | 35 |
| Nghidengwa, Martha Ndinohamba | 28 |
| Tony Robertson, Alice Jarvis | 16 |
| Cunningham, Peter | 10 |
| Steyn, Jessica | 10 |
Dragonflies and damselflies - Records
Ranked by number of records| Observer | No. of records |
|---|---|
| Suhling, Frank | 7545 |
| Tony Robertson, Alice Jarvis | 3 |
Dragonflies and damselflies - Species
Ranked by number of species| Observer | No. of species |
|---|---|
| Suhling, Frank | 128 |
| Tony Robertson, Alice Jarvis | 2 |