Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

Of damsels
and dragons
2
One of the natural highlights
of summer is watching
a dragonfl y or damselfl y
cruising over a pond like
a mini helicopter. Now
your help is needed with
recording where they live
Dragonfl ies and damselfl ies are some of our oldest
insects whose ancestors were on the wing over
300 million years ago. They are beautiful aerial
jewels with stunning colours, fascinating behaviour
and incredible powers of fl ight.
1
The southern hawker
dragonfly is on the
move northwards. It
often breeds in garden
ponds but hunts well
away from water.
2
If you come across a
damselfly on or around
large lochs then it's
likely to be the
common blue.
However, having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs
and several ice ages, the question now is: ‘Can dragonfl ies
survive the increasing pressures that people are putting on
them?’
These beautiful creatures are threatened by climate
change and destruction of the areas where they live. That’s
why the British Dragonfl y Society (BDS) have launched the
Dragonfl ies in Focus project.
This fi ve-year project, co-funded by SNH, centres on a
nationwide survey to fi nd out exactly where our dragonfl ies
are living and how well they’re coping with the threats they
face. This will lead to a new atlas in 2013, which will give a
snapshot of where Britain’s dragonfl ies are currently found.
“Several of the scarce species are found in Scotland,”
explained Stephen Prentice, Dragonfl ies in Focus offi cer
with the BDS, “and it appears that many other species are
expanding northwards. For example, the southern hawker
never used to be seen in Scotland, but over the last 20 years
it’s quickened its movement into Scotland, with one spotted
recently as far north as Stornoway.
“Dragonfl ies are increasingly heading to Britain from
Europe,” he added. “Understanding where and how quickly
our dragonfl ies are moving will help plan for the future,
especially in terms of the way we try and conserve them. It
will be important to make sure they’re provided with the best
opportunities to react to change.”
www.snh.org.uk 17