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of distributions of dragonflies using the Watson/ Praeger vice-counties (Corbet et al, 1960), which were essentially similar to those produced for other groups of animals for the previous half-century, such as Taylor (1894-1921). However, in 1945, the Ordnance Survey (OS) began publishing the 1:63 360 ('One inch') series of maps showing the national grid (Harley 1975). The potential of this grid for recording purposes was quickly realised, as demonstrated by the initiative of the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) for co-ordinated surveys by amateurs (Perring 1992). The resulting Atlas of the British flora (Perring & Walters 1962), mapping the distribution of species on the 10 km squares of the national grid, was a catalyst for naturalists in other disciplines to begin more systematic recording. In 1964, the Biological Records Centre (BRC) was set up at Monks Wood Experimental Station, within the then Nature Conservancy (Harding & Sheail 1992), to manage the results of the BSBI survey and to introduce the same methods to other groups of organisms. Shortly after the appointment of John Heath to the staff of BRC in 1967, as the Centre's first invertebrate specialist, a project to record Odonata was launched within the Insect Distribution Maps Scheme, and the first standard recording card for Odonata, the RA4, was produced (Figure 1) in February 1968. Reports of the Insect Distribution Maps Scheme appeared at intervals in the entomological journals (Heath 1971). At this stage, Odonata recording was coupled with a scheme for the Orthoptera, both orders being the province of only a handful of dedicated devotees. The joint scheme was later managed by M J L Skelton, also on the staff of BRC. In 1973, the Nature Conservancy was split to form two independent organisations, the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE). After some uncertainty BRC remained at Monks Wood, as part of ITE, within the Natural Environment Research Council (Harding & Sheail 1992), with annual funding support from NCC and its successor agencies. In 1974, the first maps showing the distribution of Odonata in the 10 km squares of the national grid were prepared and circulated to recorders (Skelton 1974). Coverage at this time was very patchy with one or two counties fairly well recorded, but large areas of central England, most of Wales, and almost all of Scotland and Ireland completely lacking records (Figure 2). However, the maps were a great incentive for recorders to submit their existing records and to target their future fieldwork on some of the gaps. During the 1970s, the increasing number of invertebrate mapping schemes being co-ordinated by BRC, coupled with the transfer of Skelton to ITE's research station at Furzebrook in Dorset, and especially the success of the Macrolepidoptera 8 Scheme which was Heath's personal interest, led Heath to seek outside volunteers to organise some of the mapping schemes for their specialist groups. In 1977, he recruited David Chelmick, a true enthusiast who had already been very active mapping the dragonflies of Sussex and surveying Odonata in other parts of Britain for NCC, to run the national Odonata Mapping Scheme. In 1978, a Provisional atlas including maps of all the resident species of dragonfly was published (Heath 1978). Coverage had improved significantly (Figure 3), but many large blanks remained. The solution was found in May 1977, with the circulation of an Odonata Mapping Scheme newsletter, edited by David Chelmick. For the first time, there was a means of guiding the enthusiasm and efforts of recorders. The other landmark of 1977 was a new identification guide (Hammond 1977), which filled the gap left because the publications by Long-field (1949a) and Corbet et al. (1960) were out of print. Cyril Hammond's book also provided the first complete set of accurate and detailed colour plates of males and females for every resident British and Irish species. With enthusiastic leadership, and a very attractive handbook encouraging many more naturalists to look at dragonflies, the Odonata Scheme gathered such momentum that a revised Provisional atlas was produced within two years (Chelmick 1979), based on twice as many records as in the 1977 edition. Coverage was now good enough to reveal the main patterns in species distribution in Britain, and recorders had rediscovered breeding sites for most of the rarities of the Scottish Highlands. They also produced the first records for many years for immigrants such as Sympetrum fonscolombil. The announcement of such highlights in the annual newsletter provided just the boost that recorders needed. The success of the Scheme can be judged by the first recorders' meeting, held in London on 7 April 1979, which attracted 72 people, from as far afield as Inverness, Penzance and west Wales. Discussion at the meeting ranged from maps and temperature limits to behaviour, habitat requirements and colour variation. This increased breadth of interest led to a name change, from 'Mapping' to 'Recording' Scheme, emphasising the wider objectives, and recognising the need for detailed breeding site information. With such commitment, the future of the Scheme seemed assured. However, the Scheme was in danger of becoming the victim of its own success. In the fourth newsletter, in Spring 1980, David Chelmick requested help with the increasing administrative burden. Soon afterwards, Bob Merritt, who had helped compile the 1979 Provisional atlas, offered to assist, and was given the title 'national recorder',
4 .. %. , * Figure 2. Map of coverage in 1974 (source: Skelton 1974) -2 9 , S I 4: 9 II 41 S. II I1110 I dr.:i4 % I. 41 MU: N N 442 ON ow 0* .. : mu.. pr. I* .. L.. „I . OS e **
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 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 and 130:
Sympetruni danae (Sulzer) 1975-90 o
Page 131 and 132:
Leuconhinia dubia (Vander Linden) W
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,
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