Friday 17 July 2015

The Naming of Nature - Dragonflies


The Naming of Nature - Dragonflies and Damselflies (ordonata)





Whenever we see a dragonfly skimming across a pond we all start pointing and talking. The conspicuous beauty of these insects never fails to capture our attention which is why in olden times every culture, even locality, would have their preferred names for these creatures.  These names mingled and became mutated by folk stories and legends, the names often had very long histories and their own lives, we took them on journeys across empires where we left them to take on new meanings in other lands.   At times they lost their meaning altogether, or new meanings were reinvented for old names, or the names became irrelevant and were allowed lie and fade back into nothingness.  Fortunately some lists were made and kept, in the 1960s Elmwood Montgomery from the University of Indiana made this list of 95 English and 23 Celtic folk names.  There are other lists; One of 150 from Germany (I have not found it) another of 119 and from the US (appendix). 

95 English names collected by Elmwood Montgomery in the 1960s

Some of the loveliest folk names are descriptive and whimsical; for instance the English folk name Waterbutterfly is an idea that occurs across Europe.

Banded Demoiselle - Waterbutterflies?  Pic  http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk

Similar names are:

England Peacock 
Holland Waterpepel (Water Butterfly)
France Papillion d'amour (love butterfly)
Italy Farfaya (butterfly)
Spain El Parot (butterfly)
Germany Pfaufliege (peacock fly)  Wasserpfau (waterbutterfly)

Then there are descriptive names that tell us about the insects behaviour.  This insect, The Common Blue Damselfly, is called a Water sniffer in Holland.  This refers to the fly's habit of touching the water surface with their tails as they lay eggs.

Common Blue Damselfly / Watersniffer / Enallagma cyathigerum

In Italy they have a similar folk name
Lavaku which means Tail washer.

The Difference between Damsel and Dragonflies 

It is easy to tell difference between Damsel and Dragonflies.

Dragonflies are usually larger fast flying insects that dart and skim over the water surface, which is why groups of dragonflies have been classified as Skimmers, Hawkers Skaters and Darters.   When dragonflies rest they always hold their wings flat like this American Slaty skimmer is doing.  Also notice how the eyes almost meet on the top of the head

A resting Slaty skimmer dragonfly pic  http://lemonbayconservancy.org


Damsel and Demoiselle flies are often very small and have a weak fluttery flight.  When they land they hold their wing up like a butterfly does.  This is how a damsel fly looks when at rest


Bright Blue Damselfly - California pic http://bugguide.net

 Also notice how the eyes of a damselfly are widely spaced apart.

The Scientists have classified the damselflies and dragonflies together into one Order; the Odonata which is derived from the Greek word for teeth.  This is appropriate because dragonflies are fierce hunters with strong mandibles that they use to crush their prey.



The Pagan cult of Freya, goddess of Love

Dragonflies and damselflies are as delicate and elegant as swans or butterflies, this beauty has made them revered in many cultures around the world (especially Japan). One of the loveliest traditions comes from the Scandinavian (Æsir) culture that  associates damselflies with maidenhood and Freya, the pagan goddess of love.  From this tradition we have folk names that liken the damselfly to maidenhood and chastity,  like Juffer (Denmark) which translates as Little Miss.   

Our English name Demoiselle is a corruption of the old French word "dameisele" which means a young lady or damsel.  Other names in this tradition are:  

English Merry Maid , Lady and Damselfly
French , Dame de Paris (Parisian lady) mariée (bride) Demoiselle (Damsel)  Moungeto (Little Nun) Papillion d'amour (love butterfly) 
Italy Monaca (nun) Muneghela (little nun) Signorella (Little lady)


Spanish/Portuguese Donzelinka (young lady) Le dimuzela (damsel)
Swedish Vattenjunfer (watermaiden)
Danish Vanderjunfer (watermaiden)
Dutch Waterjuffertje (watermaiden) juffer (Damsel/Maiden)
German Edeljunfer  (Genteel Maiden) Wasserjungfe (water maiden) Junfer (Maiden)
Portuguese  Donzelinha (damsel)


Then on the Continent, where language has male and female forms, there is a charming twist to this tradition; the smaller flies are given female names, and the larger flies male names.  So we find small flies being called Demoisella and larger Monsieur

Here is a selection of these


Portuguese  Donzelinha - Danzello
French  Moungeto (Nun) - Pretre (Priest)
French Demoisella - Monsieur 
Italy Monaca (nun)  Monaco (monk)


Classical (cult of the snake)

The Earliest known literary reference to the dragonfly is in a volume printed by William Caxton in 1483, he call it an Adder's Bolt (snakes arrow), a name that survived into the 20th century. In 1607 Moffet calls the dragon fly The Greatest Libelle and the Damsel fly the Smallest Libelle. (see later)

1607 - The Greatest Libelle - from The Theatre of Insect by Tho Moffet

 
The first known use of the folk name Dragonfly is in Francis Bacon's Sylva Syvarum which was published in 1667.


 

First known usage of Dragonfly - Sylva Syvarum which was published in 1667.


Bacon almost certainly did not make this name up, it was probably an oddball amongst a cluster of old European names that connect this insect with snakes, horses, needles and the devil; Adder Bolt, Eye Snatcher, Snake Doctor, Gwas y neidr (Welsh for: Snakes Servant), Horse Stinger, Devil's Darning Needle, Eye Poker, and
Tarbh-nathair-neimh (Gaelic: venomous bull-serpent).  It may seem that Dragonfly has no connection with any of these names which sound evil.  How did these beautiful butterflies of the water get connected with malice?


I want to start my explanation by looking at the names that conjoin the devil and horses.  This connection is widespread, here are a sample of the names from around Europe..


English  Devil's Riding Horse
French Chevau du diable (Devils horse) 
 Cavaleta del diavola (Devils horse)
USA Devils Horse / Devil's Riding Horse / 
German Tenfelspfred  (Devils Horse)
Danish  Fandens ridehest ("Devil's riding horse") Ijseren paard (Iron Horse) Parrdrijder (Horseman)
Spanish Caballito del Diablo ("Devil's horse")
Portuguese Cavallo d'o demo (Devils horse)
Romanian  Calul Dracului (Devils Horse) Pitingdul Dracului (The little horse of the devil)
Swedish trollslända (hobgoblin fly)
Australian Horse Stinger 
Finnish Pirum Hevonen (the devils little Horse)
Croatian  (damoiselle fly) Konjska Smrt (horse's death)



There are other insects involved in our story.  One of the most obvious is a large nocturnal predatory drove beetle (Staphylinus ocypus olens) that looks like a giant earwig.  Although they do not live in water and are unrelated to dragonflies these insects share a similar collection of folk names that are to do with devils and horses (but not snakes or needles); Devil's Coach Horse, Devil's Steed, Devil's Coachman and Devil's Footman.   In Ireland the beetle is known as a deargadaol (Devil's beast).  The Irish said it gained it's magical powers by feeding on the bodies of sinners. 

English  Devil's Coach Horse, Devil's Steed, Devil's Coachman  Devil's Footman and Black Cocktail
Gaelic   deargadaol / darbhada (Devil's beast)
French  Le Diable (The devil) /  l’ocype odorant (the fragrant ocype)/ Le Fantassin du diable (One reference only Devils Soldier)
Maltese  Katarina-għolli-denbek (Catherine raise your tail) 
Italian scorpione-elaterio (Scorpian click beetle)
Spanish  Asnillos
Dutch Stinkende kortschildkever (smelly Rove Beetle)
German  Schwarzer Moderkäfer  (Black Moder Beetle)
 
(please let me know if you can add more names and myths to my list)
A drone beetle - The  Devils Coach Horse


The Devil's Coach Horse has wings that are tucked and folded in small wing cases on its back, it has a strong bite and if it is disturbed it
raises its tail like an earwig or scorpion does and makes an offensive smell.  For this reason the beetle is also call the Black Cocktail and in Italy
scorpione-elaterio (Scorpian click beetle) and in Malta Katarina-għolli-denbek (Catherine raise your tail).  Can someone tell me who Catherine was?




This has gained it another name Black Cock Tail. (Photo birdingworld.co.uk)

When they unfold their wings, which are quite big,  they look a bit like ugly black dragonflies. 


Devils Coach Horse with wings unfolded


Devils coach horse live in rotting vegetation where they hunt insects and worms.  They must have been a common sight in amongst the strewing on medieval floors.  One can imagine how the superstitious rural people of the middle ages grew to dislike these big black flying insect and believed they were evil. 

As if this were not enough there is an even more revolting aquatic insect.    The beautiful The Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis) and Great Silver Water Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus)

The Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus Marginalis

have disgusting larval forms that even today are called Water Devils or Underwater Devils Coach Horses.  Water Devils are as large as newts (7cms), they wiggle through the water like little water snakes catching small fish that they crush with their mandibles.  The also bite!

Water Devil (Dytiscus larva)
A few years ago my pond was infested with these creatures.  I have always loved insects, but these make even me nauseous.  To the innocent medieval mind the predatory water nymphs of immature dragonflies must have looked quite similar to Water devils; they might have thought they were the aquatic relation of the Devils Coach Horse.

Water nymph of Dragonfly


So it is not very altogether surprising that in the imagination of the medieval mind the folk names of these three insects became entwined.  My hunch is further confirmed when I find Coach Horse and Devils Riding Horse on the lists of folk names for dragonflies. 

The Dragonfly's Connections with Romanian Dracula Myths

When we look across Europe to Romania we find tales that closely relate horses, evil flying insects and the devil.  The myths tell how the devil cast a spell on St George's beautiful white horse; turning it into a giant, flying insect.  The Romanian's folk names for the dragonfly include Calul Dracului (Evils Horse),   Pitingdul Dracului (The little horse of the evil) , Calul St George (St Georges Horse), thus directly connecting this myth with the dragonfly.   The German's also seem to have shared this myth since one of the recorded folk names is  Gorgen pferdlein (St Georges Horse)

There is a popular theory that this Romanian  name travelled across Europe as Dracului fly, Drak fly or Drakon Fly to eventually land in England as Dragon Fly. 



There are long traditions of putting the devil on horseback. The Mongols who attacked Europe in 1240 were loosely known as the devil's horsemen. Perhaps this thought came easily to the frightened Christian victims who believed that the end of the world would be preceded by the arrival of the four riders of the apocalypse who would bring war, plague, famine and death.

The four horsemen as featured in the “Bamberger Apokalypse” Folio 14 recto (ca. 1000 AD) 



It is a fascinating to read that the third horse (famine) was a black horse (the colour of Devil Coach horse beetle) and the rider carried a weighing scales.


"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the centre of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and the wine.”


The black horseman had come to weigh wheat and barley and bring famine, but everyone was aware of another more directly threatening use of the weighing scales. His scales could be used
to weigh their souls after they had died of famine.  Belief in weighing the souls of the dead was ancient and very widespread.  The Egyptian God Anubis weighed the hearts of the dead and against the weight of a feather.  If the weight was wrong Anubis fed the soul to Ammit, the Devourer of Souls.



The Christian belief was that sinful souls were heavier than virtuous souls, so the devil was looking to take the heavy souls of sinners to Hell.  For this task he would need an assistant with weighing scales or balance.


In Scandinavian there were beliefs that when dragonflies flew around your head they were weighing your soul for the devil.  
An old Swedish name for dragonflies is Skams besman ("Devil's steelyard"), a steelyard is a Roman weighing balance.  There are many other examples of dragonfly names alluding to balances and scales.  


Sweden Skams besman ("Devil's steelyard")
Norwegian Bismar (Steelyard) 
Italian  Blansette (Balance fly)  Bilancelle (little scales)
Britain Balance Flies / Libelle (1607 Moffet) 
France (Libellule) , 
Germany (Libelle) , 
Spain (Libelue)
Romanian (Libelula)
Holland Libel / Libelle / Libellule

Portugal (Libelinha) which are all varients of Libella/libra which is Latin for Balance or Scales

NB Some say the etymological root is libre (Book) because the wings of a dragonfly look like the pages of a book


Roman steelyard from Pompei


Mixed in with the allusions to horses, balances and devils are many names that mention needles that are used maliciously to darn, pierce, cut and poke eyes and ears.

French Couturiere (Dressmaker)
French l'aiguille du diable ("Devil's needle")
Dutch  Naaier (needleworker) Kleermake (Tailor) Oogsteker (Eye stabber) Orensteker (Ear stabber) Messlnsteker (knife piercer) Negensteker (Nine times piercer)
Gaelic (Ireland) Devils Needle,  Big Needle, Battle Needle, Horse Needle

Italian Mattassaro (Needle)
German Tenfelsnadel  (Devils Needle)
Norwegian ore-sting (Ear piercer) Øyenstikker (Eye poker)
English  Devils Darning Needle,  Blue Needle, Horse Needle,  Spindle
Eye Poker, Ear Cutter
USA Devils Darning Needle / Spindle / Devils Needles /
New Jersey US  Spindle
Australia Horse Stinger 
Swedish Blindsticka  (Blind Stingers - because their sting the eyes)
Portugal  tira-olhos (Eye snatcher)

These tales have been transported to many parts of the United States where they are very prevalent, for instance in Iowa there are stories about how the Devils Darning Needle will sew together the fingers and toes of sleeping people, and in Kansas the mouths of scolding women.  Other stories tell how the Devils Darning Needle will enter a persons Ear and penetrate the brain, a story that is also found in Norwegian Folk law.  These stories are similar to the earwig's reputation for creeping into ears whilst people sleep and then burrowing through the eardrum and into the brain to lay their eggs.  (Devil Coach Horse beetles look like giant earwigs)

In Celtic tradition the Dragonfly is also reputed to look after snakes, the Welsh said the Adder's Servant stitched the wounds of injured snakes and these same stories are found in Ireland and America. But even outside Celtic traditions the connection between dragonflies and snakes is very widespread.

Welsh Adder's Servant

Celtic Adder Fly

Cornwall UK Horse Adder
English Adderbolt / Snake Arrow/ Snake Doctor / Snake Fedder / Horse Snake / Flying Adder
German Schalangentoter (Snake Killer)
Norwegian  "Dragonflies are the brothers of Adders"
Spanish Aspie dimonis (Devil's serpent)  El kabal de ser (serpent's horse)
USA Snake Flies

America Southern States Snake Doctor / Snake Feeder  


Dragonflies will land on watersnakes


The dragonflies association with snakes is the last piece of the jigsaw.  A Dutch linguist, Bostjan Kiauta, has traced 2,500 European Folk Dragonfly names that are connected to the snake, when he mapped them out he discovered their layout closely mirrored the territory of the Bronze age Urnfield Venetic culture.  


The Urnfield culture buried their dead in Urns and spoke a pre Indo-European language that is most similar to modern Slovenic - hence this culture has been named Urnfield-Slovenetic, shortened to Vanetic.  This culture was submerged about 2000 year ago under the expansion of Celtic and Roman influence over their lands, however Venetic territory is mapped through traces of their language that are still surviving in place names.    Kiauta's conclusion is that the myths associating dragonflies with snakes have come down to us from the Bronze age.

Our word Dragon is derived from the Greek word draco or drakon (Feminine form), which comes from the Indo-European source, derk, to see or look.  A drakon was a beast with an evil eye, usually a serpent of some sort. The Roman's Latin word draco was used for a particular sort of Temple Snake.  In Christian tradition it was the snake that tempted Eve and in St John's Revelation (Rev 12:9) both dragons and snakes are used  as descriptions of  the devil.  Early images of St George, like this icon, often depict St George slaying a serpent rather than a dragon.  The image is an allegory of good  slaying evil (the devil)

St George and the dragon - 14th century icon - origin unknown


The medieval Monks were fond of adding pictures to the margins of their illuminated manuscripts, and from these doodles we can see how inventive and plastic the medieval mind was. In this illustration we see two mating vipers with dragon ears and feet; the female is eating her husband as the young snakes emerge through her skin.



Two vipers mating - Kongelige Bibliotek, Gl. kgl. S. 1633



We will probably never know where Francis Bacon picked up the name dragonfly but it seems certain to have developed from very old beliefs that have roots in Bronze Age traditions that were shared with paganism in Northern Europe and Christianity in Southern Europe.  It is natural that ancient folk names blurred and interchanged snakes, dragons and the devil. 

When I made my picture of a dragonfly I was inspired to draw something elegant and cute.  To my modern mind dragons and fairies are quaint and non-threatening.  Modern cultures have dropped most of their fear of the devil and we have sanitised medieval images of evil.  This sanitising of evil has continued to happen during my lifetime, at university forty years ago we watched Hammer horror films about vampires, today we watch TV series about friendly vampires with guilt complexes. Our cultures are never static, and with these changes we invent new names and legends to use as names for the plants and animals.


Serbia

Since writing this blog post I received this intersting comment from Serbia "in Serbian, dragonfly is called "vilin konjic", meaning "faery's horse" or "faery's little horse." The fae women are called vila (pronounced veela) in many Slavic languages, and even though they are believed to be of the same size as humans, dragonflies are considered to be vila's traditional means of transportation. In Serbia, dragonflies are considered to be magical in a positive, enchanting way. They symbolize youth and beauty, and seeing one brings luck. Also, when one sees a dragonfly - faeries are close by!

I presume Serbia is too far away from Nordic traditions for the Faeries to be anything to do with the pagan cult of Freya, and wonder how extensive in other countries of the region, or maybe Russia, these associations are with good luck and faeries on horses.

CAN YOU HELP

Writing this summary has been exciting and also frustrating.  It is surprisingly difficult to find new source material, every website seems to repeat the same stories. If you have knowledge of more lists of dragonfly names please share them with me so that I can add the information to my  summary in the appendices.  It would be wonderful to know how widespread these traditions and folk law spread. 

 I could find no information about the folk names given to rove beetles and larva of water beetles and earwigs in other countries.  This knowledge would be very useful to either debunking or reinforcing my my theories.  (please contact me at this address)

My privare email address is Julian (at) twobadmice.com


Appendices

USA Dragonfly names "Evolution of Englishes" Sarah Buschfeld

 

Celtic Dragonfly names collected by Elmwood Montgomery in the 1960s

A Collection of Dutch Names 

(Woordenboek van de Limburgse Dialecten, Volumes 2-4)


libel
libellule
waterjuffer
waterjuffertje
waterjuf
waterjuffrouw
waterjuffrouwtje
juffer
juffertje
juffrouw
juffer
madammetje
jonkerjan (squire John)
waternimf
waterpimfel (pimfel makes no sense)
waterpepel (pepel is apparently an old word for butterfly, so water butterfly)
watersnuffel (water sniffer)
watersnuffer (water sniffer)
waterspin (water spider)

snijden = to cut; snijder = cutter
naaien = to sew; naaier = seamstress/needleworker


waterschaar (water scissors
glassnijder (glass cutter)
glazensnijder (glass cutter)
kleine glazensnijder (small ...)
grote glazensnijder (big ...)
glasmaker (glass maker)
glazenmaker (glass maker)
kleine glazenmaker (small ...)
glazenwasser (big ...)
poppensnijder (doll cutter)
poppenschreur (I have no idea what schreur means, maybe from 'to tear')
grassnijder (grass cutter)
snijder
snip-snap-snijder
kleermaker ( = tailor)
speksnijder ( spek = bacon; bacon cutter)
watersnijder (water cutter)
blauwe snijder (blue cutter)
grote snijder (big cutter)
teensnijder (toe cutter)
tenensnijder ( toe cutter)
haarsnijder (hair cutter)
haarslenter ( No idea what slenter means)
spaanse naaier (spanish cutter)
naaier (seamstress/needleworker)
schoenlapper ( = cobbler)
schoenmaker ( = shoemaker)
kousenbreier ( kousen = stockings; breier = knitter)
messensnijder (messen = knives;  knive cutter)
mesmaker (knife maker)
messenmaker (knife maker)
messensteker (knife piercer)
negensteker (negen = nine; steker = piercer, stabber -> something like 'pierces nine times')
oogsteker ( = eye stabber)
orensteker ( = ear stabber)
paardensteker ( = horse stabber)
naaldenkoker ( naald = needle; koker = case; needle case) Koker is used for the long shape, like a tube
kokernagel ( nagel = nail;)
naald
naaldenzeiker (makes no sense, something like 'one who pees needles')
speld ( speld = pin)
speldenwever (pin weaver)
schaar ( = scissors)
bimbout (I have no idea. Bout = bolt)
gekleurde bimbout (colored bimbout)
ijzenbout (I have no idea. IJzen might be short for ijzeren = iron)
ijzeren bout (iron bolt)
glazeren bout ( glass ?? bolt)
korenbout ( koren = grain; wheat, bout = bolt
korenbijten (bijten = to bite)
korenbijter (bijter = biter, wheat biter)
wrattenbijter (wratten = warts, wart biter)
knoestenbijter (knoest = knob; knob biter)
korendief (dief = thief, wheat thief)
korendanser (wheat danser)
korenknapper ( knapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
korenmaaier (wheat mower)
korenpikker ( pikker = pecker, wheat pecker)
korensnapper ( snapper = snapper, wheat snapper)
sliereslijper (sliere = rhyme word; slijper = grinder)
ijzeren paard (iron horse)
ijzeren veulen (iron foal)
paard (horse)
paardje (horsey)
paardenrijder (horseman)
paardrijder (horseman)
biezenpaard (bies = some kind of high grass)
jezusjespaard (jesus horse)
begijnenpaard (beguines horse)
pardoenen (I have no idea)
ridder van Malta (knight of malta)
heer (sir)
dame (lady)
madammetje (madam)


Checklist, Slovenian common names

Below is a checklist of all the European dragonfly and damselfly species, with their Slovenian common names, if available. It's based on Dijkstra and Lewington's excellent Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Britain and Europe but incorporates three recent changes: Brachythemis leucosticta has been renamed Brachythemis impartita, while Lestes parvidens and Lestes viridis have been renamed Chalcolestes parvidens and Chalcolestes viridis respectively.

We now have photographs available of all 132 species listed below.

If you would like to see the checklist with the common names in a different language, click on the corresponding flag above. And you can also see the checklist with only the scientific names.
#SuborderFamilyGenusSpeciesSlovenian common name
1ZygopteraCalopterygidaeCalopteryxCalopteryx splendens (Harris, 1782)Pasasti bleščavec
2Calopteryx xanthostoma (Charpentier, 1825)Calopteryx xanthostoma
3Calopteryx virgo (Linnaeus, 1758)Modri bleščavec
4Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Vander Linden, 1825)Temni bleščavec
5EuphaeidaeEpallageEpallage fatime (Charpentier, 1840)Epallage fatime
6LestidaeLestesLestes sponsa (Hansemann, 1823)Obvodna zverca
7Lestes dryas Kirby, 1890Obrežna zverca
8Lestes barbarus (Fabricius, 1798)Grmiščna zverca
9Lestes virens (Charpentier, 1825)Loška zverca
10Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836)Južna zverca
11ChalcolestesChalcolestes viridis (Vander Linden, 1825)Zelena pazverca
12Chalcolestes parvidens (Artobolevskii, 1929)Presenetljiva pazverca
13SympecmaSympecma fusca (Vander Linden, 1820)Prisojni zimnik
14Sympecma paedisca (Brauer, 1877)Vzhodni zimnik
15CoenagrionidaeIschnuraIschnura elegans (Vander Linden, 1820)Modri kresničar
16Ischnura genei (Rambur, 1842)Ischnura genei
17Ischnura graellsii (Rambur, 1842)Ischnura graellsii
18Ischnura saharensis Aguesse, 1958Ischnura saharensis
19Ischnura fountaineae Morton, 1905Ischnura fountaineae
20Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier, 1825)Bledi kresničar
21Ischnura hastata (Say, 1839)Ischnura hastata
22Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)Ischnura senegalensis
23EnallagmaEnallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier, 1840)Bleščeči zmotec
24CoenagrionCoenagrion pulchellum (Vander Linden, 1825)Suhljati škratec
25Coenagrion puella (Linnaeus, 1758)Travniški škratec
26Coenagrion intermedium Lohmann, 1990Coenagrion intermedium
27Coenagrion mercuriale (Charpentier, 1840)Brzični škratec
28Coenagrion ornatum (Selys, 1850)Koščični škratec
29Coenagrion scitulum (Rambur, 1842)Povodni škratec
30Coenagrion caerulescens (Fonscolombe, 1838)Zahodni škratec
31Coenagrion hastulatum (Charpentier, 1825)Barjanski škratec
32Coenagrion lunulatum (Charpentier, 1840)Šotni škratec
33Coenagrion hylas (Trybom, 1889)Sibirski škratec
34Coenagrion johanssoni (Wallengren, 1894)Coenagrion johanssoni
35Coenagrion armatum (Charpentier, 1840)Coenagrion armatum
36ErythrommaErythromma najas (Hansemann, 1823)Veliki rdečeokec
37Erythromma viridulum (Charpentier, 1840)Mali rdečeokec
38Erythromma lindenii (Selys, 1840)Prodni paškratec
39PyrrhosomaPyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer, 1776)Rani plamenec
40Pyrrhosoma elisabethae Schmidt, 1948Pyrrhosoma elisabethae
41CeriagrionCeriagrion tenellum (de Villers, 1789)Rdeči voščenec
42Ceriagrion georgifreyi Schmidt, 1953Ceriagrion georgifreyi
43NehalenniaNehalennia speciosa (Charpentier, 1840)Kresnična palčica
44PlatycnemididaePlatycnemisPlatycnemis pennipes (Pallas, 1771)Sinji presličar
45Platycnemis acutipennis Selys, 1841Platycnemis acutipennis
46Platycnemis latipes Rambur, 1842Platycnemis latipes
47AnisopteraAeshnidaeAeshnaAeshna mixta Latreille, 1805Bleda deva
48Aeshna affinis Vander Linden, 1820Višnjeva deva
49Aeshna isoceles (Müller, 1767)Deviški pastir
50Aeshna grandis (Linnaeus, 1758)Rjava deva
51Aeshna caerulea (Ström, 1783)Šotna deva
52Aeshna cyanea (Müller, 1764)Zelenomodra deva
53Aeshna viridis Eversmann, 1836Zelena deva
54Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus, 1758)Barjanska deva
55Aeshna subarctica Walker, 1908Mahovna deva
56Aeshna serrata Hagen, 1856Aeshna serrata
57Aeshna crenata Hagen, 1856Aeshna crenata
58AnaxAnax imperator Leach, 1815Veliki spremljevalec
59Anax parthenope (Selys, 1839)Modroriti spremljevalec
60Anax ephippiger (Burmeister, 1839)Afriški minljivec
61Anax immaculifrons Rambur, 1842Anax immaculifrons
62BrachytronBrachytron pratense (Müller, 1764)Zgodnji trstničar
63BoyeriaBoyeria irene (Fonscolombe, 1838)Večerna senca
64Boyeria cretensis Peters, 1991Boyeria cretensis
65CaliaeschnaCaliaeschna microstigma (Schneider, 1845)Bledi vetrnjak
66GomphidaeGomphusGomphus vulgatissimus (Linnaeus, 1758)Popotni porečnik
67Gomphus schneiderii Selys, 1850Gomphus schneiderii
68Gomphus graslinii Rambur, 1842Gomphus graslinii
69Gomphus simillimus Selys, 1840Gomphus simillimus
70Gomphus pulchellus Selys, 1840Zahodni porečnik
71Gomphus flavipes (Charpentier, 1825)Rumeni porečnik
72OphiogomphusOphiogomphus cecilia (Fourcroy, 1785)Kačji potočnik
73OnychogomphusOnychogomphus uncatus (Charpentier, 1840)Rumeni peščenec
74Onychogomphus forcipatus (Linnaeus, 1758)Bledi peščenec
75Onychogomphus costae Selys, 1885Onychogomphus costae
76ParagomphusParagomphus genei (Selys, 1841)Paragomphus genei
77LindeniaLindenia tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825)Velika peščenka
78CordulegastridaeCordulegasterCordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807)Prodni studenčar
79Cordulegaster trinacriae Waterston, 1976Cordulegaster trinacriae
80Cordulegaster heros Theischinger, 1979Veliki studenčar
81Cordulegaster picta Selys, 1854Rumeni studenčar
82Cordulegaster bidentata Selys, 1843Povirni studenčar
83Cordulegaster insignis Schneider, 1845Cordulegaster insignis
84Cordulegaster helladica (Lohmann, 1993)Cordulegaster helladica
85CorduliidaeCorduliaCordulia aenea (Linnaeus, 1758)Močvirski lebduh
86SomatochloraSomatochlora metallica (Vander Linden, 1825)Kovinski lesketnik
87Somatochlora meridionalis Nielsen, 1935Sredozemski lesketnik
88Somatochlora flavomaculata (Vander Linden, 1825)Pegasti lesketnik
89Somatochlora arctica (Zetterstedt, 1840)Barjanski lesketnik
90Somatochlora alpestris (Selys, 1840)Alpski lesketnik
91Somatochlora sahlbergi Trybom, 1889Somatochlora sahlbergi
92Somatochlora borisi Marinov, 2001Somatochlora borisi
93EpithecaEpitheca bimaculata (Charpentier, 1825)Nosna jezerka
94OxygastraOxygastra curtisii (Dale, 1834)Oxygastra curtisii
95MacromiaMacromia splendens (Pictet, 1843)Macromia splendens
96LibellulidaeLibellulaLibellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758Lisasti ploščec
97Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758Modri ploščec
98Libellula fulva Müller, 1764Črni ploščec
99OrthetrumOrthetrum cancellatum (Linnaeus, 1758)Prodni modrač
100Orthetrum albistylum (Selys, 1848)Temni modrač
101Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798)Mali modrač
102Orthetrum brunneum (Fonscolombe, 1837)Sinji modrač
103Orthetrum nitidinerve (Selys, 1841)Orthetrum nitidinerve
104Orthetrum chrysostigma (Burmeister, 1839)Orthetrum chrysostigma
105Orthetrum taeniolatum (Schneider, 1845)Orthetrum taeniolatum
106Orthetrum trinacria (Selys, 1841)Orthetrum trinacria
107Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1773)Orthetrum sabina
108LeucorrhiniaLeucorrhinia dubia (Vander Linden, 1825)Barjanski spreletavec
109Leucorrhinia rubicunda (Linnaeus, 1758)Vresni spreletavec
110Leucorrhinia pectoralis (Charpentier, 1825)Dristavični spreletavec
111Leucorrhinia albifrons (Burmeister, 1839)Ozibni spreletavec
112Leucorrhinia caudalis (Charpentier, 1840)Mrtvični spreletavec
113SympetrumSympetrum danae (Sulzer, 1776)Črni kamenjak
114Sympetrum pedemontanum (Müller in Allioni, 1766)Pasasti kamenjak
115Sympetrum sanguineum (Müller, 1764)Krvavordeči kamenjak
116Sympetrum depressiusculum (Selys, 1841)Stasiti kamenjak
117Sympetrum flaveolum (Linnaeus, 1758)Rumeni kamenjak
118Sympetrum fonscolombii (Selys, 1840)Malinovordeči kamenjak
119Sympetrum striolatum (Charpentier, 1840)Progasti kamenjak
120Sympetrum vulgatum (Linnaeus, 1758)Navadni kamenjak
121Sympetrum meridionale (Selys, 1841)Sredozemski kamenjak
122Sympetrum sinaiticum Dumont, 1977Sympetrum sinaiticum
123CrocothemisCrocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832)Opoldanski škrlatec
124TrithemisTrithemis annulata (Palisot de Beauvois, 1807)Ciklamni telovnikar
125Trithemis arteriosa (Burmeister, 1839)Trithemis arteriosa
126Trithemis kirbyi (Selys, 1891)Trithemis kirbyi
127Trithemis festiva (Rambur, 1842)Trithemis festiva
128BrachythemisBrachythemis impartita (Burmeister, 1839)Brachythemis impartita
129DiplacodesDiplacodes lefebvrii (Rambur, 1842)Diplacodes lefebvrii
130SelysiothemisSelysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825)Temni slaniščar
131PantalaPantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798)Pantala flavescens
132

 

References

 

  Finding new species of Dragonflies in Africa


 

 

With thanks to Stephen Moran for showing me this!

German dragonfly folk law:  http://www.petzon.se/dragonfly/main/just_for_fun/folklore.html


Japanese dragonfly culture: https://printsofjapan.wordpress.com/category/european-porcelains/page/2/
British Species guide: http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/uk-species

How did the Dragon get it name?: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110321084700AAGb3sF

Weighingsouls  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_of_souls

The Dazzle of Dragonflies https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C6g_0ibafjcC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Juffer+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=HAIuR0QAHv&sig=SJQ_arAotKdbI7I-hwD6sfpz1rc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBDgUahUKEwiQ0erl9uDGAhWH6xQKHSNpAeA#v=onepage&q=Juffer dragonfly&f=false

Bugs Britannica : https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ah62bUZLDOwC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=bugs+britannica+dragonflies&source=bl&ots=Z1FYu4lnPz&sig=t9WR70IDc8XxajATSicquikuHaM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAmoVChMI5tzH4rLkxgIVizcUCh2dIgBE#v=onepage&q=bugs%20britannica%20dragonflies&f=false

Survey of Dragonfly names used in USA https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HhViBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=devil+horse+dragonfly&source=bl&ots=krpUF33bNn&sig=u5WjzoZhvIdKADh-s80ofA8Cy3Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFoQ6AEwDWoVChMIgu73gsTlxgIVSm4UCh3BNgqw#v=onepage&q=devil%20horse%20dragonfly&f=false

Study of dragonfly names (1960)  http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/viewFile/7615/7609

Urnfield Venetic Culture -http://www.angelfire.com/country/veneti/TomazicBeginnings.html



7 comments:

Devil's Coach Horse jumper said...

I can't offer you further naming help, just wanted you to know I thoroughly enjoyed your post on dragonfly names; it was exactly the linguistic exploration I was looking for! I appreciate your research into the origins and transportation of the names, and your comparison with the similar looking insects. Also your illustrations were charming!
Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the wonderful write-up. I came across your site when I noticed a curious name for the Beautiful Demoiselle in Croatian, the Konjska Smrt (horse's death).

Julian Williams said...

Love that contribution - Konjska Smrt (horse's death)

Unknown said...

I absolutely loved this article. I can add one small contribution: in Serbian, dragonfly is called "vilin konjic", meaning "faery's horse" or "faery's little horse." The fae women are called vila (pronounced veela) in many Slavic languages, and even though they are believed to be of the same size as humans, dragonflies are considered to be vila's traditional means of transportation. In Serbia, dragonflies are considered to be magical in a positive, enchanting way. They symbolize youth and beauty, and seeing one brings luck. Also, when one sees a dragonfly - faeries are close by!

Julian Williams said...

I wish I had more feed back like this - if you have the time please do some more research into folk names for dragonflies (and devil's coach horse beetles).

Unknown said...

I would like to offer a very slight correction on this line: German Tenfelsnadel (Devils Needle). The first "n" should be a "u". The German word for devil is Teufel. Interesting article!

Anonymous said...

Could there be a connection between the names of damselflies and the names of dragonflies? I'm thinking damsels being sacrificed to dragons, damsels in distress due to dragons and so forth.

This article was a bit sparse on the damselfy, I thought, but SO COOL, I'm very glad you made it.

I started out wondering at the connection between damsels and dragons, now I'm wondering if horsemen were associated with devils because at some point all peoples were indigenous and perhaps victims of foreign horsemen ...