Black-splashed Elf

Tetrathemis polleni · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae

Also called: Black Splash

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Black-splashed Elf
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY

The black-splashed elf is a dragonfly in the Libellulidae family. It lives around shaded pools in gallery forests across sub-Saharan Africa, from South Africa up to Somalia, Ethiopia and Gambia.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Tetrathemis polleni, called the black-splashed elf, belongs to the dragonfly family Libellulidae.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is found near shaded pools, such as those in gallery forest habitats.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its range covers sub-Saharan Africa, from South Africa northward to Somalia, Ethiopia and Gambia.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Black-splashed Elf photo 2
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY

Same family (Libellulidae)

Blue DasherBlue DasherPachydiplax longipennisEastern PondhawkEastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollisCommon WhitetailCommon WhitetailPlathemis lydiaWidow SkimmerWidow SkimmerLibellula luctuosaAutumn MeadowhawkAutumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinumCommon DarterCommon DarterSympetrum striolatum

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrathemis_polleni

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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