To Mr Robert Gambles on his 70th birthday

A short biography and appreciation of odonatological work of R.M. GAMBLES are followed by a list of new taxa he described and by his odonatological bibliography (1951-1980). Most of his work is devoted to the fauna of West Africa, especially Nigeria. We are honoured to write this short appreciation of Mr Robert Moylan Gambles on the occasion of his 70 th birthday. It is a great pleasure to bring to a wider circle of colleagues Robert Gambles' outstanding contribution to Odonatology, and to underline how much he is esteemed and respected as a scientist and as a friend. Our own odonatological studies in Africa would hardly have been possible without his generous and detailed assistance.