The aim of the British Dragonfly Society is to promote and encourage the study and conservation of dragonflies and their natural habitats, especially in the United Kingdom.
What's New
Latest changes include updated an announcement (below) about our new Patron, a link for reporting unusual dragonfly observations has been added to the Hotnews page, updates to contact information, some new links, an updated List of Recorders and the "Excel Species Recorder" accessed from the Recording pages, updates to the catalogue of goods on the Shop page, and the latest news and information on the Dragonflies in Focus project. The Diary has been updated with events for 2008 - book early to avoid disappointment.
Our New Patron - Sir David Attenborough
The British Dragonfly Society warmly welcomes Sir David Attenborough OM CH FRS as Patron in its 25th anniversary year. Sir David has long been active in the conservation world and his distinguished career in natural history broadcasting has inspired a whole generation of environmentalists. From his first famous Zoo Quest series, through the memorable Life on Earth trilogy, to his most recent project, Life in Cold Blood, his programmes have raised awareness and increased understanding of our natural world. We are indeed most fortunate that he has kindly agreed to become our Patron.
Dragonflies in Focus
We've just launched the Dragonflies in Focus project
On Thursday 24th April, Chris Packham joined us at the Natural History Museum to officially launch this 5-year recording project. One of the major outcomes will be the publication of a new national dragonfly atlas. We're encouraging everyone to take part, with training and materials for beginners through to experienced recorders. Find out more on the Dragonflies in Focus pages
The National Atlas Project
The National Dragonfly Atlas Project was launched in April 2008. The aim of this project is to update the known distribution of British dragonfly and damselfly species over the next 5 years, culminating in the publication of a new national atlas in 2013.
A new national atlas is urgently required. Climate change is contributing to increasingly earlier spring emergence and change in the range of a number of our species. In addition, new species are becoming established in Britain, as demonstrated by the recent rapid spread of Small Red-eyed Damselfly. We are living through a dynamic change in our dragonfly fauna and need to record this information, thereby providing evidence for future assessment of the impact climate change and other environmental factors are having on our dragonfly fauna.
To succeed in this ambitious project good national coverage is needed. The more volunteers that get involved, especially in the traditionally under-recorded areas of Scotland, Ireland and northern England, the more information on the status of our dragonfly and damselfly species can be gathered. This will not only allow the production of a high quality national atlas but also provide a good baseline of information that can be used for the future benefit of dragonfly conservation.
Find more details of this important new project and how you can help by visiting the National Atlas page.
The Key Site Project
The key site project aims to develop an agreed set of national criteria that may be applied to determine key dragonfly and damselfly sites throughout Britain.
This project will help to determine sites important for maintaining breeding populations of nationally or locally important, or a high diversity of damselfly and dragonfly species. By being based on information readily gathered using the RA83 recording card, it is hoped that this will promote the recording of evidence of breeding and abundance of dragonfly species and contribute towards increasing monitoring of species and identification of key sites throughout the country.
Find more details of this important new project and how you can help by visiting the Key Site Project page.
Global Warming Evidence?
2007 saw a very warm spring in the UK and with it, many more than usual reports of dragonflies and damselflies in April and early May. Is this evidence of global warming or is it just seasonal variation? It isn't really possible to tell from a single exceptional year but this paper (120 Kb .pdf), prepared by Christopher Hassall, David J. Thompson, Graham C. French and Ian F. Harvey, does use examples from the odonata records together with other data gathered over the past 40+ years as an indicator of climate change.
Exuviae - your help is requested
The BDS is in the process of setting up an exuviae collection that will be for use by the members. The idea is that there will be ten sets for each species, consisting of one male and one female of each species on the British List. A set (i.e. a male and a female) of each species can then be borrowed from the society, so for example you can check you exuviae against known examples. Some photos from the collection are now available on the species pages of the web site.
We are still building the exuvia collection so can I please ask you to collect exuviae that you come across during the summer especially for the following species and send them to David Goddard 30, Cliffe Hill Avenue, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7HD.
Don't worry if I get more than is required for a particular species the exuviae will be kept as spares with the possibility of an exchange system being set up in the future. I also know that some of the species are migrants but the BDS has members abroad where these species breed.
| Beautiful Demoiselle | Calopteryx virgo |
| Banded Demoiselle | Calopteryx splendens |
| Scarce Emerald Damselfly | Lestes dryas |
| Southern Emerald Damselfly | Lestes barbarus |
| Willow Emerald | Chalcolestes viridis |
| Red-eyed Damselfly | Erythromma najas |
| Small Red-eyed Damselfly | Erythromma viridulum |
| Dainty Damselfly | Coenagrion scitulum |
| Northern Damselfly | Coenagrion hastulatum |
| Irish Damselfly | Coenagrion lunulatum |
| Norfolk Damselfly | Coenagrion armatum |
| Azure Damselfly | Coenagrion puella |
| Variable Damselfly | Coenagrion pulchellum |
| Common Blue Damselfly | Enallagma cyathigerum |
| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly | Ischnura pumilio |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly | Ischnura elegans |
| Small Red Damselfly | Ceriagrion tenellum |
| Azure Hawker | Aeshna caerulea |
| Brown Hawker | Aeshna grandis |
| Southern Migrant Hawker | Aeshna affinis |
| Lesser Emperor | Anax parthenope |
| Green Darner | Anax junius |
| Vagrant Emperor | Hemianax ephippiger |
| Hairy Hawker | Brachytron pratense |
| Golden-ringed Dragonfly | Cordulegaster boltonii |
| Downy Emerald | Cordulia aenea |
| Brilliant Emerald | Somatochlora metallica |
| Northern Emerald | Somatochlora arctica |
| Orange-spotted Emerald | Oxygastra curtisii |
| Common Darter | Sympetrum striolatum |
| Highland Darter | Sympetrum nigrescens |
| Yellow-winged Darter | Sympetrum flaveolum |
| Ruddy Darter | Sympetrum sanguineum |
| Vagrant Darter | Sympetrum vulgatum |
| Banded Darter | Sympetrum pedemontanum |
| Scarlet Darter | Crocothemis erythraea |
| Globe Skimmer | Pantala flavescens |
Slides and Digital Images wanted for the BDS collection
The BDS has a collection of slides and digital images that are used in illustrated talks on conservation. We welcome additional photographs to illustrate species, habitat, behaviour etc. to help us with this task. A list of subjects that we would like to add or expand upon is given below. Of course please feel free to send any other slide or digital image you think would be of interest.
When you send them can you please supply the following information - Species, Date and place where taken and Name of photographer.
These should be sent to me at: David Goddard, 30 Cliffe Hill Avenue, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7HD; email - david.goddard8@ntlworld.com.
Orange-spotted Emerald Oxygastra curtisii male and female
Northern Emerald Somatochlora arctica female
Vagrant Darter Sympetrum vulgatum female
Highland Darter Sympetrum nigrescens male and female
Scarce Emerald Damselfly Lestes dryas female
Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas female
Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum female
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio female (normal form)
Northern Damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum female
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum female
Irish Damselfly Coenagrion lunulatum female
Norfolk Damselfly Coenagrion armatum male and female
Dainty Damselfly Coenagrion scitulum male and female
Banded Darter Sympetrum pedemontanum male and female
Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affins male and female
Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope female
Green Darner Anax junius male and female
Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly Hemianax ephippiger female
Globe Skimmer Pantala flavescens male and female
Any teneral males or females
Any Dragonflies / damselflies in tandem
Any Dragonflies / damselflies in copulation
Any Dragonflies / damselflies ovipositing
Any Dragonflies / damselflies larvae
Any Dragonflies / damselflies emerging a sequence would be nice
Any Dragonflies / damselflies exuviae
Any Dragonflies / damselflies caught or being eaten
Any Dragonflies / damselflies feeding
Any Dragonflies / damselflies in mixed parings
Any Dragonflies / damselflies colour forms
Habitat shots
Field meetings
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