‘Bexley Wildlife’s’ guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies in the Borough, and where to see them, has been updated to mark the start of the flight season – during which the adult insects metamorphose from their unobtrusive aquatic larval stage, take to the air, seek mates and breed. Read or download here. Bexley is currently home to 18 of the UK’s 43 resident and regular migrant species. With two new species recorded at Erith Marshes (Crossness) during 2015, this fabulous site goes top of the league with 16 species, one ahead of Foots Cray Meadows. The Lamorbey list was doubled from 5 to 10 last year, and with new species colonising the country, largely through East Anglia and the Thames estuary, and heading our way, there is much still to discover and learn about these fascinating insects in Bexley.
As is usual the first adult of the year was a Large Red Damselfly, recorded in east Kent on 1st April, according to the British Dragonfly Society website. This can be seen at a number of sites in Bexley, including Danson Park.
Male Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly. (Photo: Ralph Todd)
