3
DRAGONFLIES OF ESSEX
The dragonflies, or Odonata, are among the most ancient
of all insect orders. They are also among the most
spectacularly beautiful and have fascinating habits
and life histories. For many years, amateur students
of these creatures were deprived of easily available,
'in-print', identification guides. In 1977 this was
rectified by the publication of what Cynthia Longfield,
the great authority on dragonflies, referred to as
'the dragonfly-book of the century'. This book is
the late Cyril 0. Hammond's The Dragonflies of Great
Britain and Ireland, Curwen Press, 1977. Currently
selling at about £15, the book isn't cheap, but it is
still great value. The magnificent colour illustrations
alone open up the possibility of identifying every
species the beginner is at all likely to encounter.
There is a brief descriptive text, giving the details
of habitat, behaviour, distribution and flight periods.
There is also a useful key to the 'nymph' stages of
each species.
This book has done much to stimulate an interest in
dragonflies amongst many amateur naturalists, and as a
result we have a thriving national recording scheme
which each year adds hundreds of new records to the
accumulated knowledge of dragonfly distribution. A
number of Essex recorders are actively engaged in pro-
viding these records, and we are now hoping to produce
a booklet including detailed maps showing the distribution
of dragonflies in Essex. Obviously, this will have to
be the result of a number of years systematic surveying
of potential habitats, and we are hoping that many
readers of this article will want to join in. Since
dragonflies spend the early part of their lives under
water as wingless 'nymphs' the best places to
seek them out are areas of unpolluted water and their
immediate surroundings. 'Eutrophication' due to
run-off of agricultural fertilisers, the drying out or
choking up of farmyard ponds, drainage of marshes,
'canalisation' of river banks, and wooden or concrete
reinforcement of river and pond edges are among the