White-faced darter
14 June 2010
This small dark dragonfly is found near bog pools with extensive growth of Sphagnum moss. Often described as looking as though its face has been dipped in off-white paint, the male has red markings on the thorax and the narrow black abdomen. The female’s markings are yellow. It has a jerky flight, often low over the water. Females lay their eggs in open patches of water between the moss.
White-faced darter (c) David Kitching
Latin Name: Leuchorrhinia dubia
Population numbers:
It has declined considerably in the last 35 years and it is now present at only half its mid 20th Century localities. Habitat losses have been caused by land use changes including intensive peat extraction. Currently there are only five breeding sites in England.
Where to see and when:
The best sites include Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Moss National Nature Reserve in Shropshire and Chartley Moss National Nature Reserve in Staffordshire, which is now the most southerly site in Britain. Other major strongholds for the species are in Cumbria and the highlands of Scotland. Best seen between late May and the end of June.
What’s being done?
Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. A reintroduction is in progress at the site of a former population in Cumbria.
More information:
