Leucorrhinia dubia (Vander Linden) White-faced dragonfly Description L. dubia is a small dark libellulid which derives its name from its pale creamy white frons, clearly visible from the front in flight at close quarters. Sympetrum danae is also small and dark, but it lacks the white frons and the dark basal wing patches of L. dubia. In mature male L. dubia, the narrow abdomen is black with red markings on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of segments 2 and 3, reddish spots mid-dorsally on segments 4 and 5, and larger orange spots mid-dorsally on segments 6 and 7. These may become redder with age. The wings have dark black-brown patches basally, which are less extensive on the forewings, and red coloration mid-dorsally on and between the wing attachments. The thorax is black with faint red antehumeral stripes and lateral markings. In immature males and in females, the red and orange markings of mature males are pale creamy yellow Habitat L. dubia breeds in acidic and usually oligotrophic bog pools which contain an abundance of submerged Sphagnum moss. Occasionally, on cut-over bogs, larvae will emerge from peat-stained pools with negligible amounts of submerged vegetation, but invariably these are at sites where Sphagnum-dominated pools are in close proximity. At some lowland sites, the submerged moss Drepanocladus fluitans is also plentiful. At several basin mire sites in the English midlands, the pools, up to 14 m deep, may have been formed as a result of the collapse of a schwingmoor. L. dubia is confined to waters with no fish (Henrickson 1988). Breeding biology L. dubia is territorial but its territories are not large. Interaction between L. dubia and Libellula quadnMaculata is discussed by Warren (1964), and is referred to more fully in the account of the latter species in this Atlas. Copulation takes place amongst low bushes or heather and is of short duration. The female oviposits by flying low over the bog pool, usually unaccompanied by the male, and dropping her eggs into the water or on to water-logged Sphagnum moss. The larvae, which live amongst submerged Sphagnum, usually take two years to develop. Flight periods L. dubia is on the wing from late May to the end of July. It may be seen with other species such as Sympetrum danae, Aeshna juncea, Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Lestes sponsa. Status and distribution The first authenticated record of L. dubia in Britain was at Thorne Moors, Yorkshire, on 28 July 1837 by William Beckitt, who passed a specimen to J C Dale (Lucas 1908; Limbert 1985). The species has a very disjunct distribution in Britain from Surrey to north Scotland. It has not been recorded from Ireland. Its strongholds are in Inverness-shire and Ross-shire. It appears to have declined in Perthshire and Argyllshire, not having been reported since 1972. L. dubia has declined notably in England over the past 35 years, having been lost from six sites between 1956 and 1976. Only seven breeding sites remain. Its sole Welsh locality, Fenn's and Whixall Moss, is at a site which straddles the border with England. The decline of L. dubia in Britain is due principally to the loss of habitat, caused by drainage associated with afforestation, commercial peat cutting and agricultural reclamation. Seral changes, which result in the drying out of the habitat and its encroachment by scrub and trees, are a danger at bogs which have already been damaged by human activity, and are most marked at the sites of former small-scale peat diggings (Key 1989; Eversham 1991). One site, in Surrey was probably lost as a result of drying out in the drought of 1976. L. dubia occurs within several NNRs and anRSPB reserve. The appearance of L. dubia at an atypical, locally wellknown site at Stone Edge, Derbyshire, in 1987-89 is now thought to have been an abortive attempt at introduction. L. dubia was reported from at an atypical site at Walberswick NNR, Suffolk, in 1992 (Mendel 1992); none was seen there in 1993 or 1994. European and world L. dubia is found throughout northern Europe, and east to Siberia. At the southerly distribution limits of its range it is restricted to mountain areas such as the Pyrenees and Alps. 108
Leuconhinia dubia (Vander Linden) White-faced dragonfly 1975-90 o 1950-74 O Pre-1950 , r N„ , .6 . tz]," .. .: 3 o o o 0 o 109 0 0 o 00 SO o o
- Page 2 and 3:
Cover photograph: Aeshna juncea Ins
- Page 4 and 5:
@ NERC Copyright 1996 ISBN 0 11 701
- Page 7 and 8:
FOREWORD Having been on the fringe
- Page 9 and 10:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following list
- Page 11 and 12:
Howard, G.; Howard, LW; Howe, M.; H
- Page 13:
Walker, D.S.; Walker, FA; WaLker, I
- Page 16 and 17:
CHECKLIST The following checklist i
- Page 18 and 19:
Aeshna mixta Latreille 1805 Aeschna
- Page 20 and 21:
THE BRITISH AND IRISH ODONATA IN A
- Page 22 and 23:
of distributions of dragonflies usi
- Page 24 and 25:
I 00 o o Figure 3. Map of coverage
- Page 26 and 27:
,o " Figure 5. Map of coverage at t
- Page 28 and 29:
FIELDWORK AND DATA MANAGEMENT METHO
- Page 30 and 31:
areas, and encouraged in this by bo
- Page 32 and 33:
Table 3. Distribution of each speci
- Page 34 and 35:
Table 4 (con°. Vice-county distrib
- Page 36 and 37:
Table 4 (cont). Vice-county distrib
- Page 38 and 39:
Computerisation and validation Havi
- Page 40 and 41:
dominance of one individual over an
- Page 42 and 43:
RESIDENT SPECIES Description Habita
- Page 44 and 45:
Calopteryx splendens (Harris) Bande
- Page 46 and 47:
Description Flight periods Status a
- Page 48:
Description Lestes dryas Kirby Scar
- Page 51 and 52:
Platycnemis pennipes (Pallas) White
- Page 53 and 54:
Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) 1975-9
- Page 55 and 56:
Erythromma najas (Hansemann) 1975-9
- Page 57 and 58:
Coenagrion mercuriale (Charpentier)
- Page 59 and 60:
Coenagrion scituluni (Rambur) Daint
- Page 61 and 62:
Coenagrion hastulatuni (Charpentier
- Page 63 and 64:
Coenagrion lunulatum (Charpentier)
- Page 65 and 66:
Coenagrion armatum (Charpentier) No
- Page 67 and 68:
Coenagrion puella (Linnaeus) Azuxe
- Page 69 and 70:
Coenagrion pulchellum (Vander Linde
- Page 71 and 72:
Enallagma cyathigerurn (Charpentier
- Page 73 and 74:
Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier) Scar
- Page 75 and 76:
Ischnura elegans (Vander Linden) 19
- Page 77 and 78:
Ceriagrion tenellurn (Villers) 1975
- Page 79 and 80: Aeshna caerulea (Strom) Azure hawke
- Page 81 and 82: Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus) Common haw
- Page 83 and 84: Montiaghs Moss, near Aghalee, Co An
- Page 85 and 86: Sundon Springs chalk quarry, near L
- Page 87 and 88: PLATE 1 Calopteryxvirgo adult PLATE
- Page 89 and 90: PLATE 13 Libellula fulva adult PLAT
- Page 91 and 92: Aeshna mixta Latreile Migrant hawke
- Page 93 and 94: Aeshna cyanea (Muller) Southern haw
- Page 95 and 96: Aeshna grandis (Linnaeus) Brown haw
- Page 97 and 98: Aeshna isosceles (Muller) Norfolk h
- Page 99 and 100: Anax imperator Leach Emperor dragon
- Page 101 and 102: Brachytron pratense (Muller) Hairy
- Page 103 and 104: Gomphus vulgatissimus (Linnaeus) 19
- Page 105 and 106: Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan) Go
- Page 107 and 108: Cordulia aenea (Lin.naens) Downy em
- Page 109 and 110: Somatochlora metallica (Vander Lind
- Page 111 and 112: Somatochlora arctica (Zetterstedt)
- Page 113 and 114: Oxygastra curtisii (Dale) Orange-sp
- Page 115 and 116: Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus 1
- Page 117 and 118: Libellula fulva Mailer Scarce chase
- Page 119 and 120: Libellula depressa Linnaeus 1975-90
- Page 121 and 122: Orthetrum cancellatum (Linnaeus) 19
- Page 123 and 124: Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius)
- Page 125 and 126: Sympetrum striolaturn (Charpentier)
- Page 127 and 128: Sympetrum sanguineum (Muller) Ruddy
- Page 129: Sympetruni danae (Sulzer) 1975-90 o
- Page 133 and 134: IMIVLIGRANTS AND ACCIDENTAL SPECIES
- Page 135 and 136: POSSIBLE ADDITIONS TO THE BRITISH A
- Page 137 and 138: SEASONAL OCCURRENCE PREVIOUS REPRES
- Page 139 and 140: 700 600 500 400 300. 200 100 0 90 8
- Page 141 and 142: 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 90 80 70 60 50
- Page 143 and 144: Finally, differences in recorder be
- Page 145 and 146: ODONATA LOCALITY 6411 V10E-COUNTY N
- Page 147 and 148: Particularly in the case of residen
- Page 149 and 150: conditions and which may be of grea
- Page 151 and 152: 1960s from its single locality alon
- Page 153 and 154: pond. One of the authors did this o
- Page 155 and 156: REFERENCES Aguilar, J. d', Dommange
- Page 157 and 158: Gabb, R. & Kitching, D. 1992. The d
- Page 159 and 160: Coenagrion rnercuriale (Charpentier
- Page 161 and 162: Dee'. Transactions of the Natural H
- Page 163 and 164: Circumboreal Occurring in a band en
- Page 165 and 166: Marl A whitish clay soil with a hig
- Page 167 and 168: Vulvar scale WATCH Weald Wheel posi
- Page 169 and 170: Appendix 2. LIST OF PLANT NAMES Pla
- Page 171: Libefiula depressa 5,6,14,17,18,19,