Join us for our Annual Meeting- open to anyone with an interest in dragonflies and wetland conservation.

This event is free but donations are welcome.

Registration is essential; book your ticket here.

The day will be hosted on zoom; if you are not familiar with the app please check out the new users manual here.

You will receive the link for the event on Zoom via email near the time.

Programme

9:30    Welcome

9:45  Reshaping the Coastline for our Future ~ Alys Laver, Steart Marshes Site Manager

10:15  Urban Wetlands for Wellbeing ~ Andy Graham (WWT Senior Project Manager)

10:45  Dragonflies of Llangorse Lake ~ Keith Noble (BDS County Dragonfly Recorder for Breconshire)

11:15 Q&A with Keith Noble

11:30  Break

12:00  BDS Staff Update

12:30  Meet our new Conservation Outreach Officer, Lauren Kennedy

13:00  AGM

13:30  Lunch

14:15  A common endosymbiotic bacterium led to reduced genetic diversity in the Common Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) ~ Junchen Deng (Lund University)

14:45  Willow Emeralds in the Winter – Extending Dragonfly Recording To Every Season! ~ Ian Merrill (BDS County Dragonfly Recorder for Leicestershire with Rutland)

15:15  Break

15:30  Biological control of Floating pennywort using the South American weevil, Listronotus elongatus ~ Djami Djeddour, senior research scientist, CABI

16:00  Q&A with afternoon speakers

16:30  Finish (the meeting will be left live for a chance to socialise with other attendees).

Please note the programme may be updated.

Talk information

Willow Emeralds in the Winter – Extending Dragonfly Recording To Every Season!

Ian Merrill (BDS County Dragonfly Recorder for Leicestershire with Rutland)

As BDS recorder for VC 55 (Leicestershire & Rutland), Ian Merrill will recount his personal experience of the colonisation of VC 55 by Willow Emerald Damselfly since 2019. The presentation will focus on the benefits of searching for evidence of the species during the winter months and the huge value which can be added to our knowledge of the spread of this often-elusive species by the adoption of this tactic. The richly illustrated talk will describe how best to focus winter recording efforts, exactly where best to search and, importantly, exactly what the clues of its presence look like in the field.

Mating Blue-tailed Damselflies by Erik Svensson

A common endosymbiotic bacterium led to reduced genetic diversity in the Common Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Junchen Deng (Lund University)

Population genetic diversity is closely linked with the ability of species to colonize new habitats. Although both abiotic and biotic factors can shape the genetic diversity of a population, the effects of biotic factors are often unexplored. One of these biotic factors could be Wolbachia, a common endosymbiotic bacterium found in >40% of insect species. Wolbachia can manipulate host reproduction in many ways and thus influence the genetic diversity of a population. Blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans), or Common Bluetail, is a species expanding northward under global climate change. Although several studies have looked at the population genetics of I. elegans, no one has investigated Wolbachia and its potential effects on the genetic diversity of this damselfly species. In our study, we characterized Wolbachia diversity and genetic diversity of I. elegans populations across Europe by sequencing various Wolbachia and host genetic markers. Our results linked the reduction of genetic diversity of I. elegans populations to the infection of a Wolbachia strain. These findings provided an example of how endosymbiont infections can shape spatial variation in the genetic diversity of their host populations during range expansion.

Variable Damselflies by Keith Noble

Dragonflies of Llangorse Lake

Keith Noble (County Dragonfly Recorder for Breconshire)

Llangorse Lake is the largest natural water body in south/mid-Wales and is important for a wide range of wildlife. In recent years the number of dragonfly species has increased and this summer the Lake was recognised as a Dragonfly Hotspot, with good support from local organisations and the community. I shall illustrate the talk with my own photographs.

Reshaping the Coastline for our Future

Alys Laver, Steart Marshes Site Manager

The history of the site’s creation, changes as it’s developed, the management, and how WWT uses it as a site of inspiration for wetland creation.

Biological control of Floating pennywort using the South American weevil, Listronotus elongatus

Djami Djeddour, senior research scientist, CABI

Floating pennywort, Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, is an invasive non-native plant that can dominate still and slow-flowing water bodies. Since its establishment in the wild in the late 1980s,  the plant has spread rapidly throughout England and has the potential to out-compete native plants and reduce oxygen levels by forming dense mats, which can also exacerbate flood risk. With restrictions on chemical use near water, management tends to largely rely on sustained and labour intensive mechanical and manual clearance which can exacerbate spread if the plant is fragmented. Costs linked to its management and impacts on tourism and recreational activities are estimated to exceed £25.5 million per year. Furthermore, adverse effects on biodiversity and habitats, through degradation of important wetland ecosystems and competition with native species make this one of the most damaging aquatic invaders in the country. In 2010, CABI was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to investigate the potential of biocontrol for floating pennywort. Over a decade of research into the suitability and safety of a suite of natural enemies from its centre of origin in South America culminated in the prioritisation of a weevil, Listronotus elongatus. This insect was approved for release into the environment in late 2021. This presentation will review the project history and provide an update on progress to date.

Image: Willow Emerald Damselfly by Thomas Bresson