Status, habitat use and conservation of the scarce blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura pumilio (charpentier) (odonata: coenagrionidae) in Britain and Ireland

Abstract

The status and distribution of the rare and local scarce blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura pumilio in Britain and Ireland is reviewed from a national mapping survey. Although the species is now extinct from parts of East Anglia (where it was recorded early this century) and has experienced recent declines in the New Forest area, information suggests that it is perhaps as common now as it ever has been. The species is well established in valley mires, floodlands and other natural wetlands, particularly in western Britain. In recent decades, it has been reported increasingly from artificial wetlands such as those created by mineral extraction, newly created ponds and ditches. Colonies at artificial wetlands tend to be more transient, associated with the early stages of plant seral succession. Disturbance to such habitats which perpetuates bare substrates and opennes of vegetation appears to sustain the insect at such sites. Despite apparent differences between natural and artificial sites, the microhabitats favoured by this highly dispersive damselfly are similar throughout its range. Suitable management prescriptions are discussed for its effective conservation. © 1994.