Dragonflies of the UK Part 1 with The Biological Recording Company

Learn about hawker and emperor species of dragonfly breeding in the United Kingdom with Dave Smallshire.

The UK is home to around 30 species of Dragonfly (Anisoptera) that breed in the UK. Alongside Dragonflies, the Damselflies make up the order Odonata. These predatory insects are known for their fascinating life cycles, dazzling colours and impressive flight abilities.

This presentation explores hawker-type dragonflies, including the Hairy Dragonfly, emperors and hawkers. We’ll discuss how these 11species can be distinguished from one another and delve into interesting aspects of their ecology and behaviour. We’ll look at their geographic distributions and consider their rarity and conservation status.

At the end of the session, learners should feel more comfortable submitting records of the following species to iRecord:

• Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense)
• Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta)
• Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis)
• Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)
• Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea)
• Azure Hawker (Aeshna caerulea)
• Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis)
• Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles)
• Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
• Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope)
• Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger)

The 90-minute event will consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a Q&A with the tutor using questions provided by the live audience.

Book your place on Eventbrite. 

This webinar is the first in a series of 3 webinars covering the 31 species of damselfly that are known to breed in the UK. Parts 2 and 3 will be announced in the future.