The Variable Damselfly Photo Challenge 

26/04/2025

The Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) is thought to be in decline in parts of Britain due to habitat loss, and the British Dragonfly Society is calling on photographers to help with vital research. By submitting photos of Variable Damselflies egg-laying on different plant species, contributors can aid in understanding their habitat needs.

Photos should be posted on the British Dragonflies and Damselflies Facebook group and must include the location name, date taken, and either a six-figure grid reference or a What3Words location. Optional details like plant species and damselfly numbers are encouraged but not required.

Photographs that meet the requirements will be allocated a code based on the location and date and judged for the cash prize by 15th September 2025. The lucky winner will be announced and published in the monthly eNews Hawker, on our website and on the above Facebook group. We will ask the photographer’s permission to use the photograph for these purposes.

Full details and species information can be found on the project page here.