Guide to the Pronunciation of Scientific Dragonfly Names
Based on the list in Suffolk Dragonflies by Howard Mendel. (The accented syllables are in italics.)
| aenea | ay-nee-a |
| Aeshna | eesh-na |
| AESHNIDAE | eesh-nid-die |
| affinis | aff-in-is |
| Anax | an-ax |
| ANISOPTERA | an-iss-op-terra |
| arctica | ark-tik-a |
| armatum | ar-mah-tum |
| barbarus | bar-bar-us |
| boltonii | boll-tony-eye |
| Brachytron | brak-ee-tron |
| caerulea | ki-roo-lee-a |
| CALOPTERYGIDAE | cal-op-ter-ig-id-die |
| Calopteryx | cal-op-ter-ricks |
| cancellatum | can-sell-ah-tum |
| Ceriagrion | kerri-ag-ree-on |
| Coenagrion | coin-ag-ree-on |
| COENAGRIONIDAE | coin-ag-ree-on-id-die |
| coerulescens | coy-roo-less-kenns |
| Cordulegaster | cor-dew-le-gas-ter |
| CORDULEGASTRIDAE | cor-dew-le-gas-tri-die |
| Cordulia | cor-dew-lee-a |
| CORDULIIDAE | cor-dew-lee-i-die |
| Crocothemis | cro-co-theme-iss |
| curtisii | cur-tiss-ee-eye |
| cyanea | sigh-a-nee-ah |
| cyathigerum | sigh-a-thidge-er-um |
| danae | dan- eye |
| depressa | dee-press-ah |
| dryas | dry-ass |
| dubia | dew-bee-ah |
| elegans | elly-gans |
| Enallagma | enn-al-lag-mah |
| ephippiger | ep-fip-ig-er |
| erythraea | ery-thray-ah |
| Erythromma | erry-thromm-ah |
| flaveolum | flav-ee-oh-lum |
| flavescens | flav-es-kens |
| fonscolombii | fons-coll-omb-i-ee |
| fulva | full-va |
| GOMPHIDAE | gomm-fid-die |
| Gomphus | gomm-fuss |
| grandis | gran-diss |
| hastulatum | hass-tew-lah-tum |
| Hemianax | hem-ee-an-ax |
| imperator | im-per-ah-tor |
| Ischnura | ish-nure-ah |
| isosceles | eye-soss-el-lees |
| juncea | junn-kee-a |
| junius | jun-ius |
| Lestes | less-tees |
| LESTIDAE | less-tid-die |
| Leucorrhinia | lew-core-rin-nee-ah |
| Libellula | lib-ell-yew-lah |
| LIBELLULIDAE | lib-ell-yew-lid-die |
| lunulatum | loon-yew-lah-tum |
| metallica | met-al-i-ka |
| mixta | mix-ta |
| mercuriale | mer-cure-ee-ah-lee |
| meridionale | mer-id-ee-on-ah-lee |
| najas | nye-ass |
| nigrescens | nig-gress-kenns |
| nymphula | nim-few-la |
| ODONATA | oh-doe-nah-ta |
| Orthetrum | or-thee-trum (as in thesis) |
| Oxygastra | oxy-gas-tra |
| Pantala | pan-tah-lah |
| parthenope | par-then-oh-pee |
| pedemontanum | pee-dee-mont-ahnum |
| pennipes | pen-nip-ays |
| PLATYCNEMIDIDAE | plat-ick-nem-mid-id-die |
| Platycnemis | plat-ick-nem-mis |
| pratense | pra-tense-ay |
| puella | poo-ell-a |
| pulchellum | pull-kell-um |
| pumilio | poo-mill-ee-oh |
| Pyrrhosoma | pi-rho-so-ma |
| quadrimaculata | quad-ree-mack-yew-lah-ta |
| sanguineum | san-gwin-ee-um |
| scitulum | scit-ewe-lum |
| Somatochlora | so-matto-clor-ah |
| splendens | splen-denns |
| sponsa | spon-sah |
| striolatum | stri-oh-lah-tum |
| Sympetrum | sim-peat-rum |
| tenellum | ten-ell-um |
| virgo | ver-go |
| viridulum | vir-id-youl-lum |
| vulgatissimus | vul-ga-tiss-imus |
| vulgatum | vul-gah-tum |
| ZYGOPTERA | zy-gop-ter-ah |