ESM-Table 1a/b. Species of the suborders Anisoptera (a) and Zygoptera (b) included in this study; Ind. = number of individuals analysed; ID = abbreviation of species name; Loc. = number of sample sites (localities). (a) Suborder: Anisoptera (b) Suborder: Zygoptera Family: Aeshnidae Family: Calopterygidae Species Ind. Loc. ID Species Ind. Loc. ID Aeshna cyanea 1 1 Aecy Phaon iridipennis 39 19 Pi Aeshna ellioti ellioti 1 1 Aelel Calopteryx haemorrhoidales 21 5 ch Aeshna ellioti usambarica 1 1 Aelus Calopteryx splendens 20 6 cs Aeshna grandis 1 1 Aegr Calopteryx virgo 51cv Aeshna rileyi 1 1 Aerl Coryphaeschna adnexa 1 1 Corad Family: Clorocyphidae Coryphaeschna perrensi 1 1 Corpe Anaciaeschna isosceles 1 1 Anaiso Chlorocypha aphrodite 1 1 Cap Anaciaeschna triangulifera 1 1 Anatri Platycypha amboniensis 21PA Anax imperator 88 16 Ai Platycypha auripes 2 1 Pau Anax junius 11Aj Platycypha caligata 56 11 Pc Anax parthenope 11Ap Anax speratus 21 4 As Family: Megapodagrionidae Anax ephippiger 19 4 Ae Brachytron pratense 1 1 Brpr Amanipodagrion gilliesi 11Ag Gynacantha manderica 1 1 Gyma Heteagrion sp. 2 1 Hsp Gynacantha usambarica 10 4 Gu Gynacantha villosa 1 1 Gyvill Family: Pseudolestidae Family: Gomphidae Rhipidolestes hiraoi 1 1 Rhd Paragomphus geneii 32 9 Pg Family: Coenagrionidae Family: Libellulidae Pseudagrion acaciae 42Pa Pseudagrion bicoerulans 22 4 Pb Nesciothemis farinosum 92Nf Pseudagrion commoniae 2 1 Pco Orthetrum brachiale 92Ob Pseudagrion gamblesi 2 1 Pga Orthetrum chrysostigma 34 9 Oc Pseudagrion hageni 21Ph Orthetrum coerulescens 24 5 Ocoe Pseudagrion kersteni 38 9 Pk Orthetrum julia falsum 47 9 Oj Pseudagrion lindicum 21PL Orthetrum trinacria 72Ot Pseudagrion massaicum 38 6 Pm Crocothemis erythraea 43 8 Ce Pseudagrion niloticum 62Pn Crocothemis sanguinolenta 14 2 Cs Pseudagrion nubicum 1 1 PNU Trithemis annulata 92Ta Pseudagrion salisburyense 21PS Trithemis arteriosa 27 6 Tart Pseudagrion sjoestedti 2 1 PSJ Trithemis donaldsoni 5 1 Tdo Pseudagrion spernatum 2 1 PSP Trithemis hecate 5 2 The Teinobasis alluaudi 10 3 Tba Trithemis kirbyi 19 4 Tk Trithemis stictica 44 5 Tst Family:Protoneurinae Chlorocnemis abbotti 19 6 Ca Family: Pseudostigmatidae Coryphagrion grandis 44 11 Cg Mecistogaster linearis 21ML Mecistogaster ornata 2 1 Mob Megaloprepus caerulatus 21MC Pseudostigma abberans 2 1 PAB ESM-Table 2: Character-based DNA barcodes for 64 odonate species; Character states (nucleotides) at 23 selected positions of the ND1 gene region (ranging from position 201 – 444); Taxa = abbreviations according to Tables 1a and 1b; numbers of individuals analysed per species are given in brackets; Grey cells indicate the occurrence of three or all four nucleotides at this particular position in the sequences of samples of the corresponding species; When two character states were present at a given position the number of individuals showing each character is given in brackets; taxa abbreviations in bold indicate shared character-based DNA barcodes for two species; taxa abbreviations in red indicate ≤ three diagnostic characters were found between the two adjacent taxa. Position Taxa/ (n) 201 207 213 216 225 228 231 234 243 246 255 264 273 285 294 298 306 318 324 367 429 438 444 Brpr (1) A T AAT AAG T A TTC A T G A T A T A C A Aecy (1) TTAAT A GGT A TTTA T G TTG T A T A Aegr (1) TTAAT A GGT A TTTA T G TTG C A T A Anatri (1) A T A TTAAAT A T AAAGGTTA T A TT Anaiso (1) A T G TTAAAAATTTTTG TTA T A C A Gyvill (1) TTG TTTGGT A C TTG A G C T G T G TT Corad (1) A GGTTAAAT A T G TTA G TTA T A T A Corpe (1) T GGC T AAAT A TTC AAG C T A T A T A Gyma (1) TTAAT AAAT A TTC T A G T C G T A T A Aeri (1) TTA TTAAAAATTA T A G TTG T G TT Aelel/ Aelus(1/1) A T A TTAAAT G TTA TTG TTG T A T A Aj (1) T AATTAAAT G TTA TTG TTG T A C T Ap (1) T AATTAAAT A TTA TTG TTA T G T C Ai (88) T AATTAAAT A TTA TTG TTA T A TT As (21) T AAC T GGA T A TTA TTG TTA T A TT Ae (19) A T A TTAAG T A TTTTGGTTG T A C T Gu (10) TTG A C AAAT A TTTTA G TTG T G TT C(29) G(29) A(29) Pg (32) T A G T A G T A C TTT G T (3) C A (3) TTC (3) A(42) Ce (43) G A T C T C T G TTTC GGGA T A T G (1) TT Cs (14) A T A C T A T AAATTTG A G TTA TTT A (6) Nf (9) G (3) TTTC A G A C A TTTA T A T A G T G T Ot (7) TTTTTA G A C A TTAAAG TTA AATT Ob (9) T A T CCAAAT A TTA T A G TTA T A TT Ocoe (24) T A TTTAAG T A TTTTTA CCA TTA Oc (34) T A TTTAAAT A TTA TTG T C G T A TT C(37) Oj (47) T A TTTA G A T A C T A C T A TTA T (10) A TT Tk (19) A T AAAG T AAAT G TTTG C A T A TT A (3) G Tdo (5) A T A T AAT AAT AAT A G T A A T TT G (2) (3) The (5) A T A T A G T AAATTA T GGC A G T A TT A(14) T(18) Tart (27) G (7) T A T AAAAAATTAAA TTG C(9) A TT Ta (9) TTA T A G AAAATTA G A G C T A T A TT A(22) A(22) A(22) C(22) T(36) A(22) Tst (44) TTA T(22) AAAAG(22) A TTA TTG(22) A T(22) A C (8) G(22) TT C(38) G(36) Pi (39) TT TTAAG T A T A T T (1) A C T C G A T A (3) A(20) G(20) A(19) C(20) T(20) A C(20) C(17) ch (21) G (1) TTC T A (1) GGT AAT G (2) T A T A (1) A (1) G (1) T (4) A A(18) G(18) C(18) C(18) T(18) T(18) cv/cs (5/20) G TTC T A G (7) A T A A (7) T (7) G (7) T A T A (7) A A G T A (7) Cap (1) C G TTC A GGTTG AAAAC T A G C TTA Pam (2) TTG TTA GGTTA TTTA C TTG C TTA Pau (2) TTA T C A G A TTAATTTC A C A TTTA Pc (56) TTG C T AAATTA T AAG TTC A TTA Ag (1) G TTA T A GGT G C TTC GGT G AAC TT Hsp (2) T G TTTAAAG A TTT T G TTG CCT G A(37) A(42) Cg (43) TTA C AAAT AAT A G T G (6) T G (1) TT Rhd (1) T G T C T AAAT G A T C T G A TTG TTTA Pn/Pa (6/4) A TTTC A T G T AAC T G TTC T G AATT G(16) A(19) C(18) Pb (22) A A (4) G (3) T (4) T A T G T AACCTTC T A T Pk (38) G AA T A T G T AAT A T A T C T A TT Pco (2) A TTC T G T A T A TTAATTTTA AATT Pm (38) A TTC T A T A T A G T A G TTTTA T G T Ph (2) G A G C T A T A T AAT A T G T C T A T A T PL (2) A T G C AAT G A GGTTTTTTA G T A T G Pga (2) AAAC T A T G T AAT A C A T C T G TTT PSP (2) AAAC T G T G T AAT A T G TTTG T G TT PSJ (2) G CCT AAT G T GGTTTA TTGGC A T A PNU (1) TTA C AAT G T AATTC G C TTG T G T G PS (2) AAACCA T G T A G T A T A T C T A T A TT Tba (10) C TTTTA G A T AAT A T A G T A G T A T G Ca (19) T G TTAAAG T A G TTTG AAG G TTTG ML (2) T G AAAAAAT AATTAAAT AAT G TT PAB (2) TTG C T A G A T AATTTTA TTG T A TT Mob (2) C A G T C G AAT A G TTTG A TTAAAT C MC (2) TTA TTAAAT A TTTGGA TTA T A TT ESM-Table 3: Character-based DNA barcodes at the genus level: Character states (nucleotides) at 30 selected positions of the ND1 gene region (ranging from 25 – 434); dashed cells indicate the occurrence of three or all four bases at this particular nucleotide position within a genus; cells were shaded grey if two different bases were present within a genus; numbers of analysed species and individuals are shown in brackets; Genus names in red indicate ≤ two diagnostic characters were found. Position Genus (Species/ Ind.) 25 52 55 101 132 147 148 152 157 162 167 169 172 183 207 210 258 282 298 312 318 321 327 352 356 357 422 427 432 434 Phaon (1/40) C TTTA G T G A T A TTA T G A T C T C G AAC A T A TT Calopteryx (3/46) C A TTA G AAAT A T G A/G T T/C A/G T/C A TTA/T A G T/C T G T/C T Platycypha (4/63) TTA/T T A/G TTC A/T G/A A T G A TTA/G T T/C T C/T T AAATTTTT Chlorocypha (1/1) TTA T A TTTTA G T AAGGAAC T A G T A G TTTTT Heteagrion (1/2) G TTTA GGGGT GGGT G T/G G A G TTTAAATTG A T Amanipodagrion (1/1) TTTTA G T A G T AAT A T AAT G T G T G A G T C A TT Coryphagrion (1/43) TTA T A T A/G AAT G TTTTAAAG/A T A/G T AAC A T A TT Rhipidolestes (1/1) T C G T A G T A T AATTA G A G A G TTTTA G A TTTT Teinobasis (1/10) TTA T A TTA T G A TTTTTG T G T A T AAG A T A TT Pseudagrion (12/123) G/A T A/G T/C A T T/A A/G TTTTT/C C/T A/G T T/A A/T A G A/T T A/G T Chlorocnemis (1/19) T A TTA TTTTTA TTTG T G T A T G TTA G A T G TT Mecistogaster (2/4) T A T C A TTA G AAT G T A/G G AAAT/G T/A C/T G A G A/T T A C T Megaloprepus (1/2) TTA TTG T A TTA T G TTTAAATTA G A G A G A TT Pseudostigma (1/2) TTTA TTAAAT AATTAAAATTTAAG A T A TT Coryphaeshna (2/2) G TTTG A T/C A T G/A AAT A G A/G A T G A TTAAC A C A T/A T Brachytron (1/1) A TTC AAC A T AAG T G TTGGGTTTAAC A C AAT Gynacantha (3/12) A T A C AAC A T G/A AAT/C A T A/T A T/A G A T/C T A/G A C A C A T Aeshna (5/5) A T A C/T AAT/C A T G/A A/G A/G T A TTA T G TTTA/G A C A C A A/T T Anaciaeshna (2/2) A T A/T C/T AAC A T G/A A A/G T A T A/T A A/T G TTTAAC G/C C A A/T T Anax (5/130) A T A C AAC A T AAG T A A/T AAT G TTTAAC A C A TT Paragomphus (1/32) G AAC AAAAT T/C T G T G/A AAAT G T C TTA C T C A TT Crocothemis (2/57) A/T A T/C T A G T/G A G/A G/A C/T T C/T A T/A G A T/A G TTTAAT A/T C A/C C/A T Nesciothemis (1/9) TTA T GGAAAATTTA T G A G A T A T G A T A C A TT Orthetrum (5/121) TTA T G/A G C A TTA T A A/T G A/G T/A G/A T T/C T A/G A T C A T T/C Trithemis (6/114) T/A A T AAAAA/G TTTTA TTG/A T/C A G T C/T A T/A C ESM-Table 4: Populations of three Pseudagrion species, which can be identified by character-based DNA barcodes; for each population the name of the sample site (locality), country, abbreviation, number of individuals analysed and coordinates of the locality are given.