Dragonfly Study Group
Violet Dropwing
(Trithemis annulata)
Banded Demoiselle
(Calopteryx splendens)
Indigo Dropwing
(Trithemis festiva)
Broad Scarlet
(Crocothemis erythraea)
Small Pincertail
(Onychogomphus forcipatus)
Odalisque
(Epallage fatime)
Blue-eye
(Erythromma lindenii)
For date, time and venue : See below
Group Leader: David Sparrow Tel: 26 270836 or 99 529023 Email: davidrospfo@hotmail.com
Assistant Group Leader: Mary Michaelides
This is a specialised group which is carrying out scientific research on the dragonflies of Cyprus. After being trained to identify the species, group members work independently in pairs, monitoring selected dragonfly sites on a regular basis. Counting the numbers of each species through the year has enabled us to build up a picture of their flight seasons, abundance and population status. We also discovered two species – Ischnura intermedia and Aeshna isoceles – which were not previously known to be in Cyprus.
So far we have over 30,000 records, including extensive island-wide data from the period 2013 – 2019. We have published several papers in scientific journals, and contributed data to a European Dragonfly Atlas and a Europe-wide monitoring project. Several times per year we meet as a group (usually on a Saturday morning) to view a presentation, review our results, discuss any issues and celebrate milestones in the research.
A thriving dragonfly population is a key indicator of a healthy freshwater environment. Active recording requires some knowledge and commitment, but the group is open to recruit anyone with an interest in the subject. It is also possible to attend the group sessions, simply in order to learn more about these colourful and fascinating insects.
Please click on the below links to download/view our recent articles: