British Dragonfly Society

Sussex Group

Autumn Newsletter 2007

No 19

Ovipositing Small Red-eyed Damselflies (E viridulum) ©Keith Noble

Welcome

As this year draws to an autumnal close, I’m amazed at how lively some of the local wildlife still is. The flowers have started flowering again in the garden, and I am still regularly seeing dragonflies flitting around the wetlands of Sussex. I can only describe this year as being ‘confused’ in terms of weather and unsurprisingly, some of our local species (including the lesser spotted local otter officer!) are too!

Much as it may hamper our enjoyment of these incredible creatures, for dragonflies, the extra doses of the wet stuff we’ve had all summer, with the occasional drop of warmth and sunshine, have probably been beneficial to them in the long term. Increasing pressure on our water resources in Sussex mean that every little drop counts for wetland wildlife.

With the possibility of breeding Red-veined darters however, 2008 looks set to be an interesting year. So we wish you all well for the winter, and look forward the prospect of some interesting new records in the New Year!! Sussex Dragonfly Socie ty Newsletter

Sussex Odonata Report

2007

Travel Diary of a Dragonfly!

Migrant Hawker ( A mixta ) © John Luck

As we move into November, the season is nearing its close but for those of you who are still out and about there are still sightings of Common Darter and Migrant Hawker to be had when the sun appears.

The records we have received this year so far seem to indicate that it hasn’t been a bumper season, however there have been some particularly significant events. An influx of more than 12 migrant Red- veined Darters Sympetrum fonscolombii was spotted at Seven Sisters Country Park by Keith Noble on nd June 2 . This is by far the largest number of this species to be seen in Sussex, and although it appeared that only males were present, there is a possibility they were accompanied by females which then dispersed. In theory this means that they could have bred and that there may be emergences, so do keep your eyes peeled next year! I think one of our jobs in the future will be to keep track of the exciting new voyages from across the sea that this species appears increasingly to be making.

There is also the possibility that the red veined darters may have cross-bred with local female Common Darters to produce hybrids. Curious as this sounds, I have recently seen a photo of a dragonfly exhibiting diagnostic features of both species. The Sympetrums are already a difficult group to identify and hybridisation would introduce a further level of complexity that makes even my mind boggle! Another challenge for next year perhaps!

Another species worthy of mention is the Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum , which continues to extend its range. We saw several on our field trip to Pett Level which was hardly a surprise as this is close to the original site at Icklesham. However, I hardly expected to find them whilst walking on Lullington Heath North of Seaford and dropping in at Winchester’s Pond. The pond was full of water and there was a patch of algae which I thought looked ideal for the species when as if on cue, out of the blue a mating pair appeared. They are a tricky species so often a telescope is a must, but once we are more used to their behaviour it should become easier. As yet, this years records have yet to be finalised, so as the season draws to a close, now is the ideal opportunity to ask you to send in your records as soon as you are able preferably using Odonata Recorder. If you experience any difficulty using this, please let us know. John Luck October 2007 Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Return of the Red Barons!

SDS Competition

Red-veined Darter

The arrival of 12 Red-veined Darters at Seven Sisters Country Park prompts the question “Is this the result of global warming?” Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter) is a resident of Northern Africa and Southern Europe and a rare migrant to the U.K. It requires southerly winds to assist its flight. Resident populations have been established in Cornwall, Devon and Lancashire, but to date no populations have been established in Sussex.

“Dragonflies of Sussex”, published in 2004 by the Sussex Group of the British Dragonfly Society, tells us that there had been 23 sightings with the most being 5 at any one time. Since then, 3 separate records were received last year, including 5 at Arlington Reservoir and this year at an early stage, we have already been advised of 4 separate sightings with the 12 at Seven Sisters being more than twice the previous record number. The 12 dragonflies were all males. However, it is possible that females were also blown over and have dispersed to nearby woodland. Thus, we wait to see if a breeding population is established.

Sympetrum fonscolombii is the Scientific Name: Sympetrum defining the genus (or sub-family) known in English as Darters and fonscolombii the species which was named after Baron de Fonscolombe.” The idea of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, the celebrated World War I fighter pilot returning as a dragonfly conjures up just the right image. He was the ace German pilot who flew a Fokker triplane, which was all red with a white nose. The Red-veined Darter has an all red body but with a red nose. It’s frequently in action performing low-flying sorties over the water. The pictures show the red veins on the wing and why it is so called.

Red-veined Darter ( S fonscolombii ) © John Luck

The BDS Sussex Group are holding a competition for the best photograph of a darter with red veins – the prize being a copy of “Dragonflies of Sussex” signed by the authors – although all records of dragonflies, either rare or common, will be gratefully received.

John Luck October 2007

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter

News

Watch this space! The Sussex Dragonfly Society (SDS) is embracing the wonders of technology and will be launching its own web page soon!

One of the few colonies of the small red damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) in West Sussex is alive and well. The colony near Wiggonholt Common seems only to appear in wet summers and a healthy number of breeding pairs were observed in August and early September.

Hopes of the rediscovery of the Scarce Emerald damselfly (Lestes dryas) at Rye Harbour following the sighting of a single female in 2006 have so far come to nothing. This is an insect that can occur in quite small populations and may be overlooked so keep searching especially in brackish waters along the coast.

Hold the page! It has never been easier to get yourself a copy of the Dragonflies of Sussex book. You can now pop in to Borders and peruse one at your leisure with a cuppa!

Four Spotted chaser © Dave Sadler

First and Last

Dragonflies are being seen increasingly early in the year and late in the season. The Sussex Dragonfly Society would love to receive records of your latest sightings in 2007 and earliest records of emergences in 2008 for any species. Records of early mating, ovipositing and emergence, along with the last dates on which individual species were seen can provide valuable information about the changing habits of dragonflies as climate changes. In future years, these records could be invaluable in helping inform how our wetland habitats need to be managed to help these incredible creatures adapt.

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter

Eye – D Corner

White-Legged Damsels

Honing your identification skills is one of the great joys and challenges of wildlife observation. To attempt to determine a species of dragonfly or indeed any beast by just one feature places great demands on our skills. I personally apply a “Rule of 3”. If all three features are satisfied then you can be reasonably confident that a correct identification has been made.

In the case of the WLD Platycnemis pennipes, although it has white legs, other damsels such as Blue- tailed Damsel have pale legs which can be misleading.

White Legged Damselfly © Gordon Jarvis Female Blue-tailed damselfly (Ishnura elegans) Immature insect in unusual pink morph (adults are pale blue) © Theresa Greenaway

In 90% of cases, you will be observing a male dragonfly, so these comments refer to males. For any Blue Damselfly, look at Segments 8 & 9 – if all/mostly blue then it will be Common Blue, Azure, Variable, Blue-tailed or even Red-eyed, but it won’t be White-legged.

The three features to look out for on the White Legged damsel are:-

• A pale blue abdomen • A unique inverted “V” on final three segments of abdomen • A double ante-humeral stripes

Only then should you take note of the white legs. An additional tip is that the newly emerged insect of this species is also a unique pale colour, which is quite distinctive displaying both the inverted “V” and double ante-humeral stripes of the adult. John Luck October 2007

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter

Chasing ScarcScarce e Chasers

After exciting discoveries last year of the Scarce Chaser on both the Cuckmere and the Ouse rivers, this year’s flight season was eagerly awaited. Quite clearly breeding of Scarce Chasers had taken place as evidenced by the markings on the males’ abdomens although breeding activity was not witnessed.

Scarce chaser with abdomen marks © John Luck Male Scarce chaser © John Luck

Upon my return from a holiday in Spain in early May, I knew that the weather back home had been perfect and looked forward to the prospect of basking in sunshine watching mating Scarce Chasers. So what happened...... as you all know it rained and rained and rained and when it didn’t rain it was chilly and windy as well. The three types of weather that dragonflies are really not at one with.

So I waited patiently and finally on June 1 st made a start on the Ouse at Barcombe Mills, walking upstream from the weir. A couple of sightings had been made last year late in the flight season, but this year no sign at all. I next visited the Cuckmere at Sherman Bridge on June 3rd and was successful, seeing 4 adults including a copulating pair. Another visit on June 5 th , located 2 males, but not in the abundance expected. On June 12 th I made for Isfield and set off to the north. Good numbers of damselflies but no big’uns apart from a mating pair of Black-tailed Skimmers until the weir near Isfield Place. Then glory be, a superb male Scarce Chaser with faint markings on the abdomen to point to breeding activity.

Downy Emerald ( C aenea ) © Sam Smith I continued upstream to quickly find a Brilliant Emerald and then ½ km later a Downy Emerald. Not bad – three national rarities within less than a km. Further sightings are described within the Adopt a River article including picture of an old male found on July 5 th . So all in all, we are under way on this project and clearly the Scarce Chaser has a breeding population on the Cuckmere stretching for nearly 3 km. On the Ouse, the position is unclear as too little surveying has been done. Although there would appear to be a breeding population, its extent and even actual location has not been established. I am hoping my friends at Sussex Ouse Conservation Society will be able to assist next year. John Luck, October Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Sussex Dragonfly Field

Trips 2007

We enjoyed two glorious field trips this year , where, despite th e appalling weather of the summer, the rain stayed away and the sun shone. We were privileged to gain access to two private estates, which have wildlife management as a primary objective. The first, (on the 17 th June) was to Knepp

Castle, south of Horsham, with its large lake and ponds, and River Adur flowing through it. The second (15 th July) took us to Pett Levels, NE of Hastings.

Dragons and Damsels

at Knepp Castle Estate! (West Sussex)

Knepp Castle in flood 2006

The Knepp Castle field trip set a record for attendance over recent years. David Chelmick, Phil Belden, Dave Sadler and John Luck provided their diverse expertise; James Worsley stated that he was representing the general members of the society who did not attend. It was disappointing that so few members took the opportunity to see this wonderful site, or to use the expertise at hand.

With few public paths in the area, permission to visit this site was much appreciated. A total of 11 species were observed, including a new species for the site – the Scarce Chaser. There are now 22 species of dragonfly listed for the area, though one or two are questionable. Unfortunately, the cool and breezy, overcast morning was not ideal for dragonfly-spotting at the big lake. In contrast, the afternoon excursion along the Adur was terrific, ending with a hot and sunny afternoon.

The Scarce Chaser proved to be particularly abundant along the river, where copulating pairs and egg-laying was observed. Other true dragonflies were less conspicuous such as Emperor and Hairy Dragonfly. Late in the day the Black-tailed Skimmer was recorded from a couple of sites. Of the smaller damselflies, Banded Demoiselles flitted amongst the marginal vegetation and there was a single sighting of a Beautiful Demoiselle. Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies were common, and White-legged Damselflies had been recently emerging and were noted at quite a few places. A few late Large Red Damselflies were seen, and, in places, the Red-eyed Damselfly.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a lesser spotted Belden! Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter The conditions of the land and water -courses on the Knepp Estate demonstrated the care and effort that the Estate had made to manage the land with great sympathy for the environment and our cherished dragonfly fauna .

Paddling around Pett level! ( East Sussex)

View across Pett level

The visit to Pett Levels was something of a cliff-hanger, awful weather preceded the trip. However, careful monitoring suggested a suitable break, which duly came to be, as it turned out glorious and hot! Credit to the team for choosing the more sheltered spots early on, until the weather improved to ensure a good day’s field trip. (James recommends looking at www.metchek.com as its forecasts seem uncannily accurate!) Pat Bonham, a new and experienced member joined Phil Belden, John Luck and James Worsley to complete our small team of four.

Small red-eyed damselfly © SDS

The morning expedition was spent in a reasonably sheltered little valley, east of Pett village, following a small stream with a number of ponds and ditches. The day started well, with observations of the latest arrival to our British shores, the Small Red-eyed Damselfly. This has now been confirmed as a resident and is rapidly spreading to many parts of Sussex and farther afield. This species features in the Dragonflies of Sussex book, so, hopefully, people will be encouraged to look out for it and add more dots to the distribution map for this fast-colonising new immigrant.

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Pett Field trip continued ……

The valley had a good range of dragonfly habitat, with areas of open water and a healthy diversity of aquatic vegetation. There were good numbers of the various species seen, with a number mating and egg-laying. The afternoon excursion took us to the Royal Military Canal from the lane north of Pett, where there is a very good stream-hugging footpath. There were two bird hides on route, but photography was hampered by the need to prevent our experts getting cooked in oven like temperatures in the hide!

This was a very good day out, visiting an essentially private nature reserve. The area is really managed for birds however, with sound objectives and sensitive management all wildlife should benefit. In total, the field trip noted 10 different species of dragonfly. There are 23 species recorded for the area, although two on this list are questionable. Although not seen on the day, it will be worth looking out for the once appropriately named Scarce Chaser in future. It is now far from scarce, as it has spread from West Sussex to colonise the Ouse and Cuckmere rivers in East Sussex over the last few years. The list for the day was as follows: Banded Demoiselle, Emerald Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer and Common Darter.

Common Darters Mating © SDS

So, we had two really enjoyable field trips to sites normally out-of-bounds to the public and could witness conservation management in action. Knepp was a large, but compact estate, which warrants more study at different times of the year. Pett Levels is a huge area, where the secretive Brede Valley must have secrets to give up – this area needs some dedicated wo/manpower to return some adequate survey results and to help our surveying ‘stalwarts’ in the area who have provided most of the dots on the distribution maps in the Dragonflies of Sussex. We also did our bit to be ‘green’, using only one car to get to Pett. Phil Belden & James Worsley

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Garden Jewels

© Sussex Wildlife Trust

Apart from being a very relaxing environment which is pleasant to spend time near, a pond can attract more variety of wildlife than any other single feature in your garden. It provides a breeding space for dragonflies, as well as a habitat for a host of other creatures, from water snails to pondskaters. A pond with shallow areas provides bathing for birds and a watering hole for hedgehogs.

The Lowland Ponds Survey of 1996 found over half of all Britain's wetland plant species in the ponds that they surveyed and in addition 2% of those ponds supported at least one Red Data Book species. Ponds are one of the refuge habitats for the increasingly endangered Water vole and in Sussex several ponds provide important breeding sites for large colonies of common frogs and toads.

Standing open water sites are also important for many dragonfly and damselfly species - the Downy Emerald, Brilliant Emerald and Hairy Dragonflies ( Cordulia aenea, Somatochlora metallica , and Brachytron pratense ) are all found at sites in Sussex. The legally protected Great-crested Newt is a high conservation priority in Sussex as the region sustains an internationally significant population of this species.

Five years ago, John Luck wrote a chapter in Dragonflies of Sussex about his newly-created garden pond. Remarkably in the first year, 9 species visited his pond with 8 of them ovipositing. Other garden ponds have attracted many other interesting species. One of our Committee members reported emergences in 2007 of both Four-spotted Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer, and one of our members recorded a White-legged Damselfly. Not what you would expect in such a small area of water.

Who knows where they come from, but particularly in urban areas they undoubtedly appreciate finding these small, watery oases in the urban jungle where they can breed, feed and rest. The most consistent breeders in John’s pond have been Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly and Emperor. Common Darter and Broad-bodied Chaser have also bred and emerged. Although Southern Hawker and Blue-tailed Damselfly have been observed breeding no emergences have been noted in following seasons. If you include some sightings of Migrant Hawkers in August and September then that makes 12 species that we know visit garden ponds in Sussex already. Fort hcoming Events Can anyone of our recorders out there add to this list ? We look forward to hearing from you.

Extracts from Sussex Fresh Water Habitat Action Plan. Authors J Luck & F Southgate Oct 2007 Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter

SDS – Pioneers of

Technology (now there’s

a first!!)

Six months after the official release of our specially adapted Odonata Recorder, and its fame is spreading already! The spreadsheet, which provides a user-friendly automated recording input document, was announced in our Spring Newsletter and has been available online ever since. It seems that we weren’t the only ones who had only just caught up with technology however.

Word reached the National recorders at the BDS about this marvellous innovation and they have now produced their own version of Recorder based on our product. This will be available to all other counties in the U.K very soon. Not only that but a little bird told us that the Sussex Moth Group is having a similar version of our program developed by Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre (SxBRC). We are obviously thrilled that this product is proving so popular and wish both of the groups every success. We will however, continue to use our Sussex version instead of the national one, as one of its strengths is that the available species are restricted to the species found only in Sussex (30 resident dragonflies and 4 migrants).

The Odonata Recorder is downloadable from http://www.sxbrc.org.uk/odonatarecorder and includes Guidelines and sample survey forms for a garden pond and a nature reserve. Its two key advantages are that you will be in control of the records, but that they can be easily imported into the dragonfly records database. Not only will this ensure more accurate and adaptable data, but it will cause a significant reduction in the county Recorder’s workload!

Should you experience any difficulty obtaining this software or using it, please get in touch with Charles Roper at SxBRC or our Recorder. But rest assured, if you still can’t quite bring yourself to face your computer, then hand-written recording cards will still be gratefully accepted.

John Luck/Fran Southgate October 2007

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Adopting a River (AAR)

– The Cuckmere

Cuckmere Haven ©Sussex Wildlife Trust

The idea of adopting a river followed on naturally from the Scarce Chaser Project. What better way to monitor the species of dragonflies present on a river than surveying from source to mouth. This is no small undertaking even for a committed ecologist! I looked upon it as a project which might take several years to complete, but with potentially fascinating results. There were opportunities to meet landowners and farmers, visit areas not normally open to the public and to be something of a pioneer. But, where was I to start? Where does the river start and end? Who are the landowners and will they be good enough to let me wander all over their land? Did I need to access both sides of the river? Which sections should I concentrate upon? The list seemed endless.

It was important to get cracking on establishing how far the Scarce Chaser presence extended as the flight season would be over by mid-July and it was already well into June. My first meeting was with a farmer from near Alfriston, who was particularly interested in the project as his granddaughter had recently appeared in her school play as a “dragonfly”. Timing appears to be everything and sometimes the gods shine upon you! Most landowners have been incredibly helpful and happy for me to have access to their land.

This year has been particularly frustrating for watching dragonflies. It has been the wettest year I can recall and consequently the opportunities for surveying have been few and far between. Despite this, I had managed to establish actual breeding of Scarce Chasers by June 3 rd this year, with a mating pair plus two further males nearby. On Thursday June 5 th , I took leave of my wife at Exceat Bridge at the mouth of the Cuckmere, drove to Long Bridge and just 200 metres north of the bridge located one old male Scarce Chaser hanging on doggedly to a Common Reed swaying in the breeze. This is the furthest south that I have found this species on the Cuckmere. Continued ….

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter AAR continued ….

Since then I have managed to find the time to survey all the way to Michelham Priory. We have managed to establish that the Scarce Chaser population extends as far upstream as 200 metres north of Sherman Bridge, where six males were sighted on July 13 th.

I also decided to try to locate the source of the Cuckmere. The Environment Agency website tells us that the Cuckmere falls 100m in the first 7 kms, fully living up to its meaning of fast-flowing. Its source rises north of Heathfield. Some time, and many attempts later I had been frustrated by footpaths lost under mounds of mud and concrete, and overgrown vegetation which would have needed a Chieftain tank to strike through it! Eventually after an escapade worth of Indiana Jones, I made my way to Grovebridge Farm via a series of country lanes, and beleaguered by traffic.

At last I was able to reach the river. As you would expect near the source, the river is fast-flowing and it was no surprise to find one species in abundance, namely Beautiful Demoiselle, but I was even more amazed to find a Ruddy Darter. To cut a long story short, after a series of adventures I reached Hellingly – with, as anticipated, no Scarce Chaser.

Ruddy Darter (S sanguineum) © Iza Phil Belden

So, I have now made a start on my project, but how about all you other recorders out there? How does the idea of adopting a river appeal to you? There are plenty left to pick from in Sussex. Or perhaps you could chose a stream, a lake or any other water-body which you could find time to monitor regularly over the coming years. I can promise you that it will be an absorbing task and it would be interesting to see whose river produces the most species. The SDS can help with finding landowner contacts and gaining access permission – and from there it is a pleasant walk in the country!

We look forward to hearing from you.

John Luck, October 2007

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter National News

National Dragonfly Atlas Project, 2008 - 2013

Ruddy Darter, a species extending its range northwards

The National Dragonfly Atlas Project will be launched in April 2008 . The project aims to update the known distribution of British dragonfly and damselfly species, culminating in the publication of a new national atlas in 2013 which is urgently required. Changes in the ranges and emergence dates of a number of our species are increasingly being observed. New species are also becoming established in Britain, as demonstrated by the recent rapid spread of Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Migrant Dragonfly Project This project is extremely ambitious and a good national coverage is needed . The more volunteers that get involved, especially in the traditionally under-recorded areas of Scotland, Ireland and northern England, the more information on the status of our dragonfly and damselfly species can be gathered. Recent results have indicated that a number of migrants appear to be becoming more common in Britain than earlier this century (e.g. Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope ).

Migrant species to watch for Typical migrant species to Britain include the following:

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta* Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum* Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope Ruddy Darter S. sanguineum* Vagrant Emperor Hemianax ephippiger Vagrant Darter S. vulgatum Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata* Red-veined Darter S. fonscolombii Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea Yellow-winged Darter S. flaveolum These species are also resident

Observations should be submitted to the Project Co-ordinator, ([email protected] ; 10 Orchard Way, Barrow, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk)

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Key Sites Project The key site project aims to develop an agreed set of national criteria that may be applied to determine key dragonfly and damselfly sites throughout Britain

What are Key Sites? Key sites are those that have records from the last ten years of either important or of a wide range of species. The most important sites that we know hold large, confirmed breeding populations, these are recognised as ' Confirmed Key Sites '. Other sites are designated ' Probable Key Sites ' until successful breeding can be confirmed. If there are only records of adults, with no evidence of breeding, the site is a ' Possible Key Site '. Both Confirmed and Probable key sites are further split into Nationally Important , where the site contains an abundant breeding population of a nationally important species or Locally Important , where a site contains either an abundant breeding population of a locally important species or a high diversity of species.

Key site Criteria These key site criteria aim to determine sites important for maintaining breeding populations of nationally or locally important, or a high diversity of damselfly and dragonfly species. By being based on information readily gathered using the RA83 recording card, it is hoped that this will promote the recording of evidence of breeding and abundance of dragonfly species and contribute towards increasing monitoring of species and identification of key sites throughout the country.

Broad-Bodied Chaser survey This 2007 online Broad-bodied Chaser survey has now finished. Nearly 700 new records were received this year, many associated with high quality photographs. The BDS wishes to thank everyone who contributed to the survey and helped our understanding of the current status of the species. Visit Broad-bodied Chaser online survey to see a map of the records. Please keep sending in your Broad-Bodied Chaser records to your local group.

Global Warming Evidence? This year has seen a very warm spring in the UK and more dragonflies and damselflies have been reported in April and early May as a result. Is this evidence of global warming or is it just seasonal variation? It isn't really possible to tell from a single exceptional year but this paper (available from the BDS website as 120 Kb pdf), prepared by Christopher Hassall, David J. Thompson, Graham C. French and Ian F. Harvey, does use examples from the odonata records together with other data gathered over the past 40+ years as an indicator of climate change.

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Here Be Dragons:

This Season’s Quiz on the

Winged Wonders!

Questions

1. Put these in order of age (oldest first) – Pterodactyl, trilobite, dragonfly, bird, butterfly? 2 How many orders of flying insects catch, and consume, prey on the wing? 3 All flies are scavengers – true or false? 4 Flies have how many muscles attached to each wing – 0, 2, 4, 6, or 10?

5 Dragons have how many muscles attached to each wings - 0, 2, 4, 6 or 10?

6 Butterfly flight and dragonfly flight is similarly structured? True or false?

7 Both butterflies and dragonflies wings are pigmented a) entirely, b) partially

8 All flying insects take off forward facing?

9 What defines a ‘true fly’ 10 Which evolved first – 2 winged flight or four winged flight?

SxBDS NNeewwss

New Members A big welcome to our new members of the SDS. Jessie Leamy (East Sussex County Council), Penny Green (Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre) and Vicky Hale (Capita)

Thank You’s Thanks to all those who contributed to this season’s Newsletter, who participated in the field trips and who supplied their dragonfly records and pictures to us. If you would like to contribute to the next edition of the newsletter or would like to participate in any of the events listed, we’d love to hear from you.

Sussex Dra gonfly Society Newsletter How you can help keep

dragons flying in Sussex

• We have developed our own version of Species Recorder called Odonata Recorder, which

can be downloaded from http://sxbrc.org.uk/odonatarecorder . Report your sightings either on

the SDS recorder, or to the Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre at Woods Mill

• Take photos of unusual dragonflies you see • Come on our free training days with local experts – more pairs of eyes mean we know more about what’s happening with our dragonflies

• Build a pond in your garden • Become a member of your local group – No charge, just send your contact details to [email protected] or c/o Fran Southgate, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, BN5 9SD, and we’ll keep you up to date with our newsletters.

Odonata Quiz Answers

1 Trilobite, dragonfly, pterodactyl, butterfly, bird 2 One (Odonata). Robber flies also catch prey in the air but tend to land to eat it. 3 True 4 None 5 Six 6 False – effectively butterflies are flies as their four wings are linked by hooks to make two 7 B (butterfly wings are refractive not pigmented) 8 False – the house fly takes off backwards 9 A true fly has two proper wings and is of the order diptera. The rear wings help balance the fly. Cut off the halteres and the fly cannot fly. 10 Four winged flight - complexity came first!

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter Contacts

Core Group

County recorder: John Luck - [email protected] Chairman: Phil Belden - Hobhouse, 47 Arundel Street, Brighton BN2 5TH Editor: Fran Southgate- [email protected] Sussex BRC: Penny Green - 01273 497521; [email protected]

Other useful Contacts

Wildcall – Free advice on all wildlife issues. 01273 494777

British Dragonfly Society - [email protected]

Booth Museum - [email protected] . 01273 292777

Useful Publications

Natural England have just revamped their leaflet ‘Dragonflies and Damselflies in your garden’ and it is now available to download as a pdf file at :- http://naturalengland.twoten.com/naturalenglandshop/docs/NE21dragonflies.pdf

Scarce Chaser eyes © SDS

Sussex Dragonfly Society Newsletter The Essential Garden Companion &

Guide for Countryside Explorations

THE DRAGONFLIES OF SUSSEX

The first ever published book on Sussex Dragonflies. by Phil Belden, Vic Downer, John Luck, Hew Prendergast & Dave Sadler.

The indispensable guide to our aerobatic, highly colourful and most beautiful of insects. With detailed distribution maps and notes on status, habitat and conservation, sites to visit, etc.

Copies available from Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, Sussex BN5 9SD. (01273) 492630, or from good book shops (ISBN 0-9525549-1-7) £7.95 or £10 including post & packaging, payable to ‘Sussex Wildlife Trust’

Proceeds go to dragonfly and wetland conservation

Generously sponsored by: Environment Agency, English Nature, Southern Water, East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, Chichester District Council, Horsham District Council, Wakehurst Place, Profile Security, Temple Environmental Consultants, The Wetland Trust, Gravetye Manor, Harveys Brewery.