Dragonflies and damselflies

Living fossils, dragonflies and damselflies are part of the most ancient group of insects on this planet. Originating over 300 million years ago, at a time when Britain’s climate was subtropical and the vegetation very different from today’s, the dragonflies and damselflies that filled the air would have looked quite familiar to us.

Most of Britain's original dragonflies and damselflies were exterminated by the cold of the last ice age after which re-colonisation occurred from Europe.

In the last fifty years the landscape has changed with the advent of intensive agriculture. Many dragonflies and damselflies have been unable to cope with the destruction of their wetland habitats through the neglect of farm ponds, underground drainage or pollution from pesticides, fertilisers and industrial as well as household waste. Additionally, our towns and cities have spread out across the land and in urban areas run-off from roads pollutes the rivers and streams. For those species dependent on acid wetlands the situation is even worse, with the destruction of peat bogs for garden peat. Today more than a quarter of Britain’s dragonflies and damselflies are under threat with only a few species, such as the broad-bodied chaser and black-tailed skimmer, able to live in the newly created wetlands made by gravel pits and garden ponds.

Opportunist feeders, adult dragonflies and damselflies grab other smaller flying insects with their bristly legs. Damselflies and darter dragonflies wait on a perch, shooting off to seize a passing meal, whilst hawker dragonflies patrol an area looking for prey on the wing. Their ability for eating almost anything that flies and is not too big has stood them in good stead, and is reflected in the eating habits of the larvae. Detecting prey by sight, touch and vibrations, they devour everything from water fleas to each other. In turn, adult dragonflies and damselflies are eaten by birds such as flycatchers and wagtails, seized by frogs and toads, or trapped by spiders. Additionally, both they and their larvae fall prey to whirligig beetles and pond skaters or are dragged below by water boatmen and water scorpions.

With up to 63 per cent of their total body weight made up of flight muscles, a streamlined shape and very large wings for their body mass, they are unmatched for speed and agility in the air. The jump jets of the animal kingdom, they can fly in any direction including backwards and sideways. Their wings are also used for signalling during courtship and territorial displays as well as absorbing heat like solar panels.

From egg to adult

The eggs of dragonflies and damselflies are laid on or near water. Some species insert their eggs into plant tissue whereas others simply release them onto the water surface to sink or be trapped amongst the plants. Some are eaten by fish or snails, whilst those that survive hatch into larvae (nymphs).

The larvae which live amongst the roots and bottom debris take one to three years to mature depending on conditions. Larvae have powerful hinged laws which shoot out to grab their prey. Dragonflies and damselflies spend most of their lives as larvae. These aquatic precursors of the flying adults grow rapidly when there is plenty of food and it’s warm. To increase in size they periodically moult their hard skin, swelling and bursting through this outer layer. By the final stage their bodies have begun to change into those of adults with the formation of compound eyes and wing buds.

After one or two years the larvae of dragonflies commonly emerge at night whereas damselflies will emerge whenever it is warm, usually in the early morning. They climb out of the water up a stem, the skin splits open and the new adult hauls itself out.

Adults may live up to two months, but many have a lifespan measured in days. During this time their major focus is to reproduce. Before and during mating the males form tandem connections with the females in flight. This may continue after fertilisation and allows the male to guard his mate from other males during egg laying.

What can you do?

To help safeguard our remaining dragonflies and damselflies you can buy organic produce and lobby your MP about farming practices. Never use peat in your garden as this is produced by destroying one of Britain’s rarest habitats, the peat bog, which is home for some dragonflies and damselflies. You should also consider the types of detergents and washing powders that you use as they affect rivers and streams.

If you have a garden then you can provide your own haven for dragonflies and damselflies by building a pond. It is important to use native aquatic plants, not only to attract the dragonflies and damselflies, but also because some exotic water plants, such as New Zealand pigmy weed, escape from gardens and take over natural ponds elsewhere

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