Here be dragonflies, thriving in Britain as never before
almost 5 years in The guardian
Climate change has encouraged a wave of insect migrants from across the Channel. Should we celebrate or fear for the future?
As the sun finally emerges from behind a cloud, I catch sight of a pair of dragonflies, yoked together in a mating position to rival the Kama Sutra. Yet this copulating couple, performing in a watery ditch on Canvey Island in Essex, are no ordinary members of their family. They are southern migrant hawkers: a species virtually unknown in the UK until a decade or so ago.
The southern migrant (also known as blue-eyed) hawker is just one of half-a-dozen “dragons and damsels” to have gained a foothold in Britain since the turn of the millennium. Together, they’ve brought the total number of UK species close to the 50 mark. Continue reading...
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