On the dragonflies of the Ethiopian Plateau and Lake Tana

Quite a few dragonfly species from Africa have been first from Ethiopia, and two major recent papers (C. CONSIGLIO, 1978, Problemi att. Sci. Cult.; 111. 243: 27-51; — E. PINHEY. 1981. luc.cit.; VI, 252: 5-56, pl.1 excl.) both augment and review the odonate fauna of that country, bringing the total number of species recorded up to 38 Zygoptera and 63 Anisoptera. When going over the geographical distribution of the records, however, one finds that virtually none pertain to the Central plateau and to the surroundings of Addis Abada. Even from Lake Tana, the ”source” lake of the Blue Nile, there is not more than a single record of one Trithemis species (T. donaldsoni: R. KITCHING, 1967, Enl. mon. Mag. 103: 268-272).