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Research published in Insect Conservation and Diversity shows that a damselfly species that came to the UK from Europe poses a minimal risk to native damselflies and dragonflies, new research shows.
As tens of thousands of species shift their “range” (the areas they live in) due to climate change, the small red-eyed damselfly has spread northwards from the Mediterranean. It was first observed in the UK in 1999 and has since established itself.
The new study, published by the RES from the University of Exeter and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, used data from the British Dragonfly Society to see if it had caused native damselflies and dragonflies to decline.
The results showed most native dragonflies and damselflies were either found more often or were unchanged in areas colonised by the small red-eyed damselfly.
You can read a more detailed press release in our Media Centre.
Once published, the paper will be available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/icad.12630
Red-eyed damselfly Credit: Pam Taylor
