Friday, 5 July 2013

STOP PRESS!! New Wiltshire location for Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly!

I have just received news that Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura pumilio) has been discovered on temporary pools in the middle of Salisbury Plain Training Area [SPTA]. These were found on 29th June by Iain Perkins who is studying the biology and distribution of the rare Fairy Shrimp (Chirocephalus diaphanous) there. When I found out he was doing this I suggested that the habitat the shrimp utilises is very similar to that which is suitable to the damselfly. Iain agreed to keep his eyes open for this species...and my hunch proved correct!
Now Iain has his eye-in, the hope is that he might find Scarce Blue-tailed at other similar locations on the Plain forming some kind of meta-population perhaps. Watch this space!
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. Peter Hunt6 July 2013 at 12:18

    I hope you find what you are after re the Scarce Blue-tailed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve Covey8 July 2013 at 11:32

      Thanks Peter. At least we are now getting some fine weather to help them possibly expand!

      Delete
    2. Unknown11 August 2013 at 01:48

      I think we found one of these in Texas, USA. Are they supposed to be here?

      Delete
    3. Steve Covey15 April 2014 at 14:09

      Hi Richard, sorry for the [very!] belated reply. To my knowledge Ischnura pumilio doesn't occur in the US. You do have 14 species of Ischnuras however [Forktail is the English generic name for them over there] and several look similar to our Scarce Blue-tailed. Did you get any photos as if so I might be able to ID it for you?

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)