Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra first studied dragonflies as a child living in Egypt. He is now a leading expert. He has described eighty species as new to science, authored a handbook for eastern Africa and a popular guide for Europe, and created the website African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. He is an associate of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands and a member of the IUCN Invertebrate and Freshwater Conservation Committees.