Cumbria is the most interesting county for dragonflies and damselflies in the north of England, according to the author of a new Cumbria Dragonfly atlas.
David Clarke is a county expert on Dragonflies and Damselflies. He explained, “There are 23 breeding species at present and climate change is bringing more species to the area. We’ve added five new species since about 1990. Others may yet come. However, habitat losses, due both to human activities and natural changes in vegetation are a threat.”
So far, Cumbria has not lost a rare species due to these factors, but the dangers remain and experts continue to worry for the future. David Clarke clarified that some species have been given a helping hand.
“The White-faced Darter re-introduction project at Foulshaw Moss has been especially successful, making it one of only three public sites in England where this rare peat-bog specialist can be seen.”
The Cumbria Dragonfly Atlas will be launched at the Cumbria Recorders’ Conference at Tullie House Museum on Saturday 29th February. The atlas has information about each of the Dragonflies found in Cumbria and is illustrated with beautiful photographs, many of which David has taken himself.
The Atlas has been produced in partnership with Carlisle’s Tullie House Museum. Moustafa Eweda is Data Officer at the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre attached to the museum and helped produce the maps and the online format.
View the Atlas at https://www.cbdc.org.uk/wildlife-in-cumbria/cumbria-dragonfly-atlas/
