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Dragonflies & Damselflies

Dragonflies and damselflies are Hooks are also found on the tail end claspers which are used for gripping among the largest and most of males for clasping females. the female in the back of the head or colourful insects seen in the Nymphs of dragonflies and neck thus allowing the bodies to wetlands of Ireland. They are damselflies are aquatic. come into close contact for carnivorous and can hunt prey while fertilisation of the eggs. flying about. They breed in water. The The eggs are laid in water, eggs hatch into a brown nymph Dragonfly and Damselfly which spends up to four years in the sometimes inside plant stems. The water before emerging as the Taxonomy females of some species penetrate colourful adult. Adult dragonflies and below the surface for egg-laying, and Dragonflies and damselflies are are helped in doing this by the male, damselfies are insects of summer insects belonging to the Order living for a few weeks. There are 28 who remains above the surface and Odonata. There are two distinct sub keeps a firm grasp on the female. species of dragonfly and damselfly in orders: The Zygoptera are the Ireland which includes both resident damselflies and the Anisoptera are Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs are and migrant species. the dragonflies. In Ireland we have 17 carnivorous, posessing a ‘mask’ dragonfly species and 11 damselfly consisting of impaling mandibles, or species. hooks on an extensible limb, which is What are Dragonflies & used for bringing the food to the Damselfies? mouth and for holding it there. The Life Cycle ‘mask’ is shot out with lightening Dragonflies and damselflies are large speed when prey of suitable size or moderate sized predaceous The mating of adults can take place approaches within reach, and the insects. The body is long, often in flight, on the ground or among nymph may also dart forward to slender. The head is big with very vegetation depending on the species. seize its victim, but at other times large and prominent eyes. The The openings of the male and female the creature is sluggish. antennae are thin and very short. genetalia are at at widely separated They have four wings which are parts of the body. This means that Although metamorphosis is approximately the same size. The strange contortions of the bodies are incomplete in the dragonflies and wings are membraneous with many needed to bring about fertilisation of damselfies, the fully grown nymphs veins. They have six legs with hooks. the eggs. The male has special anal do not bear a close resemblance to the adult insects.

mouth mask head thorax leg with hooks wing

abdomen compound eye Dragonfly Nymph anal hooks for gripping females A Dragonfly Nymph has a heavy body, three pairs of legs, large eyes and wing buds. Nymphs range in size from Structure of a Dragonfly 2.5cm to 6cm.

it’s easy | to make a difference WILDLIFE / Dragonflies and Damselflies / WL 37

extendible head mouth mask thorax

compound eye

legs with hooks to hold wings for prey flight

long slender abdomen Damselfly Nymph A Damselfly Nymph has a long body, three pairs of legs, Structure of a Damselfly four developing wings, and three leafy gills at the end of the tail. Nymphs range in size from 2cm to 3cm.

The nymph leaves the water after a it is the conditions the larva need wings of a dragonfly are different larval period of about two years in the which determine where the species shapes. The fore wings have narrow case of the damselfies and three years will be found. Lakes, turloughs, bogs bases while the hind wings are wide in that of the dragonflies. It then and fens are amongst the best at the base. climbs up a reed or other projection places for these insects in Ireland, above the surface. Here the final supporting both large numbers of The aquatic nymphs of dragonflies transformation takes place, the species including some of the rarest and damselflies are also different. nymphal skin splits and the imago Irish species and large populations of Nymphs of the damselflies have three wriggles out. The wings then expand individual species. tail like projections. These are gills, and the abdomen becomes elongate and are absent in dragonfly nymphs. Dragonflies and damselflies prefer and slender; the colouration takes a One group of damselflies that are certain time to develop, and this sheltered ponds with water unaffected by enrichment in which easy to distinguish are the waiting or ‘teneral’ period may last for demoiselles or jewelwings. These several days. the larvae will live, with few if any fish, as these are predators of have large coloured patches on their dragonfly and damselfly larvae. Adult wings, a little like a butterfly. Other dragonflies and damselflies require damselflies have really colourful Habitats of Dragonflies & good feeding areas so sites with bodies - red, bright blue or emerald Damselflies additional habitats such as green. To identify these to an woodland, scrub or unimproved individual species you need the help As most of a dragonfly or damselfly grassland and wetland vegetation of a book or identification chart (see lifecycle is spent as an aquatic larva close to breeding sites will support Field Guides). which can last for two to four years, the strongest dragonfly and You can begin to identify dragonflies damselfly populations. Dragonfly Life Cycle by recognising five different groups. The biggest dragonflies found in Ireland are the Emperors which are Identifying Dragonflies & between 7 and 8cm long. These are Damselfies powerful insects and seemingly The first task in identifying tireless in flight. Look out for the dragonflies and damselfies is to Blue Emperor (Anax imperator) in separate a dragonfly from a damselfly. southern coastal wetlands of Ireland. Male Emperor’s have an Dragonflies are big and acrobatic in amazing blue body while females flight. They like to attract attention. have an apple green body. This Damselflies are small and dainty and only fly short distances. They might remind you of a cranefly or daddy long-legs, as they flit about. Another difference between the two insects is that a dragonfly resting or feeding holds its four wings straight out from its body. Damselflies at rest hold their wings folded or slighlty spread, but close to their bodies. The Dragonfly Life Cycle can take up to four years to complete. The The fore and hind wings of a Banded egg hatches into the aquatic damselfly are the same shape. They Demoiselle nymph which emerges from the all have narrow bases at the point of pond as the colourful adult. attachment to the abdomen. The EOLAS AR AN gCOMHSHAOL

at the base of its hind wings next to dragonfly nymphs and to include its body. plenty of plants around the pond and sheltered conditions for adult The darters include four bright red dragonflies to feed. species and one black species. The skimmers have blue bodies. Once Very importantly, don’t use moss Large Red again, to sort these out you need the peat in the garden. The mining of Damselfly help of a book or identification chart moss peat from our bogs is removing (see Field Guides). the habitat of our dragonflies and damselfies and threatening their future. Go peat free in your garden Threats to Dragonflies and by recycling all the organic material to make compost. When you visit the Damselfies garden centre only buy peat free With the loss of bogs and fens and garden products. the eutrophication of waterways, our Another way to help is not to burn dragonfly and damselfly species are turf that comes from a Natural Black-tailed undoubtedly in decline. Two species Heritage Area or a Special Area of Skimmer in particular are of concern. The Irish Conservation in your home. Drainage Damselfly or Irish Bluet (Coenagrion of wetlands and bogs is a serious lunulatum) is a very local species threat to dragonflies and damselflies found on mesotrophic lakes, fens and species was first recorded in Ireland as these are insects of wetlands. cutover bogs. Some 30 colonies are in 2000. known mostly in Armagh, Choose eco-friendly detergents and The hawker dragonflies are also very Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone. cleaning products for use in your large, with long bodies (5-7.5cm) and Although this species was only home or work place. Reducing the strong, fast flight. They can fly for found in Ireland some twenty years amount of phosphates in waste hours and hours, and it’s not unusual ago, already some colonies appear to water will help to avoid to see them far away from water. The have been lost. Eutrophication of eutrophication of wetlands. Spring Hawker (Brachytron prtaense) sites is believed to have been the is usually the first of this group to be main factor. seen flying - from May onwards - long The status of our rarest Irish dragonfly Web Sites to Visit before the other species are about. the Northern or Moorland Emerald Another dragonfly in this group that’s Further information about (Somatochlora arctica) is also of easy to spot is the Amber-winged dragonflies and damselflies and their concern as it is apparently confined to Hawker (Aeshna grandis), which has habitats can be found at the the Killarney National Park in Co. brown-tinted wings and a brown following sites: Kerry. Here it breeds in shallow pools body.To recognise the other hawker in bogs. However it is an elusive insect Information on the Dragonfly-Ireland dragonflies you need an identification which has been rarely seen and there project can be found at chart (see Field Guides). are few known breeding sites. The www.habitas.org.uk/dragonflyireland The three other families of Northern Emerald is threatened by The web site describes all the Irish dragonflies are the chasers, habitat change and also by longer- species of dragonfly and damselfly skimmers and darters. These are term climate change as it is, like many and gives lots of other information smaller dragonflies than the of our bog dwelling insects, a about these fabulous insects. emeralds and hawkers and range in northern, cold-adapted species. length from 3 to 5cm. Information on wetland habitats of Ireland such as bogs, fens and Chaser dragonflies have have short, cutover bogs can be found at the chunky bodies. Look out for the Four- What You Can Do Irish Peatland Conservation Council spotted Chaser (Libellula Create a dragonfly haven in your website at: www.ipcc.ie quadrimaculata) which has two dark garden by building a pond. Make patches on each of its four wings, sure to exclude fish as they eat making eight in all plus a dark patch

Hairy Hawker Common Darter Four Spot Chaser WILDLIFE / Dragonflies and Damselflies / WL 37

Checklist of Irish Dragonflies and Damselflies Common English Names Latin Name Irish Name Banded Demoiselle/Banded Jewelwing Calyopteryx splendens Brídeog Bhandach Beautiful Demoiselle/Beautiful Jewelwing Calyopteryx virgo Brídeog Emerald Damselfly/Common Spreadwing Lestes sponsa Spré-eiteach Coiteann Scarce Emerald Damselfly/Turlough Spreadwing Lestes dryas Spré-eiteach Turlaigh Azure Damselfly/Azure Bluet Coenagrion puella Goirmín Spéiriúl Variable Damselfly/Variable Bluet Coenagrion pulchellum Goirmín Luaineach Irish Damselfly/Irish Bluet Coenagrion lunulatum Goirmín Corránach Common Blue Damselfly/Common Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum Goirmín Droimriabhach Blue-tailed Damselfly/Common Bluetip Ischnura elegans Rinnghorm Coiteann Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly/Small Bluetip Ischnura pumilio Rinnghorm Beag Large Red Damselfly/Spring Redtail Pyrrhosoma nymphula Earr-rua an Earraigh Hairy Dragonfly/Spring Hawker Brachytron prtaense Seabhcaí an Earraigh Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea Seabhcaí an Deiscirt Brown Hawker/Amber-winged Hawker Aeshna grandis Seabhcaí Ómrach Common Hawker/Moorland Hawker Aeshna juncea Seabhcaí an Phortaigh Migrant Hawker/Autumn Hawker Aeshna mixta Seabhcaí an Fhómhair Emperor Dragonfly/Blue Emperor Anax imperator Impire Gorm Lesser Emperor/Yellow-ringed Emperor Anax parthenope Impire Buífháinneach Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum Scimire Earrdhubh Keeled Skimmer/Heathland Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens Scimire na Sruthlán Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Sciobaire Cosdubh Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Sciobaire Coiteann Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii Sciobaire Deargfhéitheach Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum Sciobaire Buí-eiteach Black Darter Sympetrum danae Sciobaire Dubh Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata Ruagaire Ceathairbhallach Northern Emerald/Moorland Emerald Somatochlora arctica Smaragaid an Mhóintigh Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea Smaragaid Umha-dhaite

Recording Dragonflies & Brackagh Moss National Nature Prepared by Dr Catherine O’Connell, Damselfies Reserve, Co. Armagh Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Glenveagh National Park, Co. Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, DragonflyIreland was a four year Donegal Rathangan, Co. Kildare. project organised by the Ulster Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry Museum and supported by National Parks and Wildlife and the Lough Boora Parklands and Environment and Heritage Service Finnamore’s Lake, Co. Offaly (N. Ireland) which aimed to record Lough Conn, Co. Mayo the distribution of the Irish Lough Gealain and the Burren dragonflies and document important National Park, Co. Clare sites and habitats. Pollardstown Fen National Nature The information obtained in the all Reserve, Co. Kildare Ireland survey was published in The Upper Lake, Glendalough, Co. Issued by: ENFO – The Environmental Natural History of Ireland’s Wicklow Dragonflies in 2004 This Information Service, magnificantly produced book was 17 St Andrew Street, written by two of the co-ordinators Field Guides & Further Dublin 2, Ireland. of the project - Brian Nelson and Reading Tel: (01) 8883910 Robert Thompson. A web site for the Locall: 1890 200191 project was launched by th Ulster Anonymous (2001) Guide to the Fax: (01) 888 3946 Museum at Dragonflies of Ireland. Ulster e-mail: [email protected] www.habitas.org.uk/dragonflyireland. Museum, Belfast. www.enfo.ie In the four years of the project over Brooks, S. & Lewington, R. (2002) Write to or visit our Centre at the above 13,000 records of dragonflies in address or you may check out the ENFO Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Ireland were received. information stands at your Local Authority Damselflies of Great Britain and Office / County Library Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing, Hampshire. Dragonfly Watching ENFO is a service of the Department of the Nelson, B. & Thompson, R. (2004) The Environment, Heritage and Local Some of the best sites to see Natural History of Ireland’s Government. dragonflies and damselflies are as Dragonflies. The National Museums follows: & Galleries of Northern Ireland, Printed on recycled paper Ballynahone Bog National Nature Ulster Museum, Belfast. by Print & Promotions Reserve, Co. Derry Tel: 087 2567205 March 2005