Return for damselfly in distress

An endangered insect has been reintroduced to a nature reserve in Devon in a bid to secure its future.

The number of southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) in the UK has fallen by about 30% since 1960, and it is now considered globally threatened.
The iridescent-blue insect breeds in heathland streams and has been hit by pollution and drainage of waterways.

Now Devon Wildlife Trust has released about 500 damselflies at Venn Ottery Nature Reserve in east Devon.

The project, funded by the British Dragonfly Society, was the brainchild of David Thompson, professor of conservation biology at Liverpool University's school of biological sciences.

"Southern damselflies are a very localised species and find it difficult to disperse to other sites, so reintroductions of this kind are essential to help secure the future of the species," he said.
Butterfly rearing cages were used to transfer the insects from a site in Dorset.
They were released into a 400m (1,312ft) stretch of watercourse at Venn Ottery, where they have not been seen for more than 20 years.

Work was carried out at the site ahead of the reintroduction to make it fit for the insects, including introducing grazing, reducing scrub levels and installing small dams to slow the movement of water through the reserve.

Devon Wildlife Trust's reserves officer Ian Chadwick said more than 95% of the southern damselfly's two-year life cycle was spent as larvae in submerged stream vegetation.

"A permanent supply of unpolluted, slow-moving running water is essential for their survival," he said.

"This work has enabled us to create the right conditions for the reintroduction and we are confident that it will succeed."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8119924.stm