New ‘super’ National Nature Reserve is super news for Southern Damselflies
Hartland Moor, a key site for Southern Damselflies in Dorset, is set to become part of the new Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve. The small, delicate Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) is the UK’s only legally protected species of Damselfly. The larvae of this species are only found in shallow unpolluted alkaline streams, a habitat that…
Dragonfly Champion Ruary on the trail of a ‘Flying Fossil’: the New Zealand Bush Giant!
Our very own Dragonfly Champion Ruary Mackenzie Dodds and his wife Kari de Koenigswarter have been searching through the wilds of New Zealand to study the mysterious Bush Giant Dragonfly! The pair had to install large security cameras into wild landscapes in order to film the burrow dwelling larvae of the Bush Giant. They also…
Dragonfly Delight at Rodley Hotspot Launch
We’re not quite sure what has happened but the weather behaved itself for another outdoor event! The sun shone on Rodley Nature Reserve as we all assembled our stalls early morning on Saturday. Banded Demoiselles were zipping around nearby and as the Leeds Birdfair at Rodley opened to the public crowds came in to chat…
Distribution trends of European dragonflies under climate change
A new study by Tim Termatt et al examines shifts in dragonfly species distribution across Europe in response to a warming climate. Data from a total of 10 European regions and 99 species were studied and compared to changes in climate over recent decades. The results indicate that European dragonfly species are showing an overall…
Global collapse of insect populations
The Guardian has covered on a new data study reporting that global insect total mass declines by a staggering 2.5% a year. The study also claims that 40% of insect species are declining, and a third are categorised as endangered. All ecosystems rely on insects, the most diverse and abundant group of animals on the…
The Impact of Heatwaves
New research from the University of East Anglia provides insight into how climate change is impacting insect populations. The research team exposed Red Flour Beetles (Tribolium castaneum) to simulated heatwave conditions, in a lab, to explore the impact on male reproduction. While female fertility was unaffected, heatwaves halved the amount of offspring males could produce, and a second…
Water Soldier
The floating Water Soldier plant, with its characteristic spiky leaves and white flowers, naturally grows in the fens and broads of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. However, its popularity as a garden pond plant has resulted in its introduction and spread outside of its original native range. In this short document we discuss the ecological benefits of Water Soldier, as…
New Dragonfly Species for Britain
New Dragonfly Species for Britain: The Yellow-spotted Emerald