Dragonflies and Damselflies Week

Dragonfly Week is an annual celebration of Dragonflies and Damselflies. This year it was held between Saturday 6 July to Sunday 14 July. Dragonflies are in better shape than many other insect groups according to a report published in 2021. More than 40% of resident and regular migrant dragonflies and damselflies have increased in number since 1970 with just 11% declining, according to a study of 1.4m dragonfly records. Furthermore, six new species of dragonfly have colonised Britain in the last 25 years as dragonflies and damselflies boom in a warming and wetter climate. The restoration of wetlands and increasing number of wildlife garden ponds is also contributing to their prosperity.
 
Dragonflies belong to the insect order known as Odonata, and are among the most beautiful and captivating creatures of the insect world. They have esisted for over 300 million years, pre-dating dinosaurs and among the first winged insects to develop.
 
There are 57 species of Odonata in the UK: 36 dragonflies (Anisoptera) and 21 damselflies (Zygoptera).The British Dragonfly Society has a useful Identification Chart. https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/odonata/species-and-identification/
 
A survey in one garden with two ponds in Betchworth in 2023 identified three species of Dragonfly - Southern Hawker, Emperor and Broad-bodied chaser, and five species of Damselfly - Azure damselfly, Banded demoiselle, Beautiful demoiselle, Small red damselfly, Common blue damselfly.

The movie below celebrates the beauty and mystery of these amazing insects. It was made in the garden where the survey was undertaken – it shows a Southern Hawker Dragonfly – laying eggs under water, emerging from the water after the nymph stage and transforming into a Dragonfly and flights over the pond feeding on insects.
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