Hopes rare dragonfly will thrive at new site
David ClarkeA rare dragonfly is being introduced to a hidden corner of Cumbria.
The white-faced darter, named for its distinctive chalk-white profile, has seen its numbers severely decline in England where it only exists in a handful of sites.
Having suffered from its lowland peatbog habitats being destroyed over the years, the creature will find a new home at RSPB Campfield Marsh nature reserve in Wigton later this week.
Mhairi Maclauchlan, Cumbria coastal reserves manager, called it an "exciting opportunity to boost biodiversity" and help create a new population of a "charming but endangered species".
Small but striking, the male white-faced darter is black with vibrant red-orange markings, while females are black and yellow.
Other than the west of Scotland, they can only be found in a few places in the Midlands, as well as at Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Drumburgh Moss and Foulshaw Moss nature reserves.
'Perfect conditions'
Conservationists at RSPB Campfield Marsh have been carefully managing the area to create just the right habitat conditions for it to thrive.
"By carefully restoring the wetland habitat we're hopeful that these dragonflies will establish themselves here," said Ms Maclauchlan.
"If this year's translocation is successful, we could see adults emerging next spring and this area coming alive with this species in the coming years."
Staff and volunteers have collected moss containing dragonfly larvae and transported it in buckets from a stable donor population to the site on the shores of the Solway Firth, one of the UK's largest estuaries.
It is a process which will be carried out each April and August for up to five years to ensure new life can establish.
Eleanor Colver, British Dragonfly Society conservation officer, said: "The white-faced darter is one of our rarest dragonflies and we are committed to stabilising the British population.
"Success will depend on many factors, but the cooler climate of the Solway coast and the healthy peatbog of Campfield Marsh provide perfect conditions for the species to thrive."