by Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash.

From the Publisher

Product Details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Pages: 240

A Review by Guy Padfield - 25th February 2026

When a book goes into its fifth edition, you know it is doing something right, and this outstanding guide to the dragonflies of Britain and Ireland is doing a lot right. Building on the well deserved success of previous editions, it brings its coverage of our 58 recorded species bang up to date, as well as including full, illustrated entries for seven potential vagrants. It is a little arbitrary for me to compare the present book directly with the only earlier edition I own - the third edition, from 2014 - but it is clear the authors and editors have done much more than merely tweak the text to reflect current taxonomy and distributions. There are many new photos and some entire new sections, and many parts have been reformatted and reorganised, bringing the 224 pages of that edition up to 240 in the new.

The book is first and foremost an identification guide. There is, of course, an introductory section outlining the biology and ecology of these fascinating insects, but the purpose of this is essentially practical, to help the observer understand dragonflies in the field and interpret their behaviour. After this there is a general section on how to identify dragons and damsels, including an illustrated overview of the genera. This will be especially useful for beginners, trying to find their bearings among the many superficially similar groups that make up the order Odonata. Before the species accounts proper, there is then an identification chart covering all British and Irish dragoflies and damselflies, using stylised, colour diagrams of the abdomens, faces, pronota and other parts useful for identification. This is followed by a glossary of the terms used in the descriptions.

The species accounts themselves are superb. There are copious colour photographs of males and females, teneral individuals and in many cases different morphs, as well as the same, stylised diagrams of critical identification features mentioned earlier. Detailed notes on appearance, behaviour and habitat give the user the very best chance of identifying pretty well any dragonfly or damselfly given a good enough view. Particularly useful - and new since my third edition, though I cannot speak for the fourth - are some global overviews of particular groups. Thus, directly before the hawkers, emperors and goldenrings there is a section showing what to look for in these species, illustrating all of them side by side and, very usefully, showing them all in flight. Who has not stood by the side of a reedy pond, waiting in vain for that hawker to pose long enough for a proper view or photograph? There is a similar overview (without flight shots this time) of the darters, including a section on identifying female and immature darters.

The identification part of the book concludes with a complete guide to larvae and exuviae, including a phenology chart for all stages. I have never attempted to identify these, as I do not like to disturb the sediment in ponds and rivers, but for those involved in serious ecology and recording, it will doubtless prove invaluable.

Finally, there are brief sections on where and how to watch dragonflies, relevant legislation and the conservation status of each species, and a comprehensive checklist.

In short, if you want to identify Britain's dragonflies and damselflies, this is the only book you will need. There are other guides - notably Brooks, Cham and Lewington's excellent Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland, which enters its own sixth edition in 2026 - but the present work is amply sufficient on its own. The wealth of photographs of adult insects is truly impressive, and as I sit on a winter's day browsing through it, I am already preparing myself for the next dragonfly season.