Odonata: Local Wildlife Site Selection Guidelines

8. ODONATA
These guidelines and site selection have been based upon the dragonfly atlas (White, SJ & Smith PH. 2015. The Dragonflies of Lancashire and North Merseyside. Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society.)

Od1 Any site which regularly supports a breeding population of ten or more species of dragonfly or damselfly.

Application:
8.1 For the purpose of this guideline acceptable evidence of breeding by dragonfly and damselfly species includes identification of larvae or exuvia; or a female seen ovipositing, mating pairs or the occurrence of regular populations of adults in suitable habitat.

Justification:
18 species have bred annually in North Merseyside in recent years. Ten species represents a notable local breeding assemblage. The following species are relevant for the purposes of this guideline:

Table A. Damselfly and Dragonfly Assemblage Species
Aeshna cyanea - Southern Hawker
Aeshna grandis - Brown Hawker
Aeshna juncea - Common Hawker
Aeshna mixta - Migrant Hawker
Anax imperator - Emperor Dragonfly
Calopteryx splendens - Banded Demoiselle
Coenagrion puella - Azure Damselfly
Enallagma cyathigerum - Common Blue Damselfly
Erythromma najas - Red-eyed Damselfly
Ischnura elegans - Blue-tailed Damselfly
Lestes sponsa - Emerald Damselfly
Libellula depressa - Broad-bodied Chaser
Libellula quadrimaculata - Four-spotted Chaser
Orthetrum cancellatum - Black-tailed Skimmer
Pyrrhosoma nymphula - Large Red Damselfly
Sympetrum danae - Black Darter
Sympetrum sanguineum - Ruddy Darter
Sympetrum striolatum - Common Darter

Od2 Any site which regularly supports a breeding population of a rare or scarce North Merseyside breeding species

Application:
Rare breeding dragonflies and damselflies are those which occur in a single tetrad (2 x 2 km square of the National Grid) in North Merseyside, scarce species occur in two to six tetrads. The species to which this guideline may be applied in North Merseyside include: Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas, Common Hawker Aeshna juncea, Black Darter Sympetrum danae, and Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum.

Justification:
8.3.1 These species have been selected according to Biodiversity Action Plan guidelines. All are rare in North Merseyside or are restricted to a very few local sites: some are on the edge of their range locally while others are rare in North Merseyside because of a lack of suitable habitat.

Reviewed by: Steve White, British Dragonfly Society Recorder for Vice Counties 59 & 60.
Review Date: July 2016