Episod 6: Dragonflies & Damselflies
What is rustling and buzzing in the air around the pond?
With the new ” Lend an ear to nature” campaign, the Mouvement Ecologique wants to draw attention to these often-threatened species and their habitats – and combine it with a guessing quiz on the noise of the animal in question.
A total of two short videos on a species of animal from our localities and landscapes will be published each month from the end of April until October.
Guess with us – which animal is making that sound? and win a Naturata voucher worth €50 per spot!
(Copyright: harmon jp CC BY 3.0)
Did you recognise the dragonfly in the clip?
What you hear in the clip is the beating of a dragonfly’s wings.
Dragonflies and damselflies are native insects and are true flying acrobats: they can move their two pairs of wings independently of each other. This allows them to perform daring manoeuvres – they can hover in place, suddenly change direction or even fly backwards. Some species can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h!
Dragonflies are recognisable by their large, close-set eyes and wide-open wings when at rest, whereasdamselflies haveseparated eyes and wings that are vertical to the body and close together when at rest.
Way of life
Dragonflies and damselflies are both true masters of transformation, because as insects they undergo an exciting metamorphosis: as larvae, they live in water – often for months or years. Here they are already predatory, i.e. they feed on other small animals such as mosquito larvae. Their catching mask is impressive: a kind of fold-out mouth/catching arm with which they can snatch their prey at lightning speed.
Only as adult animals do they leave the water as larvae and hatch from their larval skin. From then on, they live as adult, flying on land – mainly in the air. In our latitudes, they can be seen darting around like colourful flashes in summer. Even as adults, dragonflies/damselflies are pure hunters: they eat mosquitoes and other small insects, thus providing an important service to humans.
Contrary to popular belief, dragonflies and damselflies are completely harmless to humans; they do not have a sting with which they could sting us.
Distribution in Luxembourg
Copyright-L.B.-Tettenborn
There are over 60 different species of dragonflies and damselflies in Luxembourg. Some are very common, while others are on the red list of endangered species. Each species has specific habitat requirements, but they all need water for reproduction.
Some prefer small, sunny ponds with lots of aquatic plants, while others prefer clear streams or marshes. In order for as many species as possible to survive, there needs to be a variety of different bodies of water – both standing and flowing, as natural as possible and evenly distributed across the landscape.
The more specific a species is to certain characteristics of the water, the more sensitive the dragonfly/damselfly is to changes in its environment.
 Copyright-Georg-Slickers |
 Copyright-Georg-Slickers |
Threats to dragonflies & damselflies
Unfortunately, many dragonfly and damselfly species are endangered today. One reason for this can be found in the past, when up to 70% of wetlands in Luxembourg were destroyed. In the second half of the 20th century, wetlands (swamps, wet meadows) were drained to allow construction on the drier soil or to facilitate farming. In the process, meandering rivers were straightened or completely covered with pipes – this unnatural state then eliminates the habitat for dragonflies and many other animals.
In the past, there were many small ponds in meadows for watering livestock. Today, they are no longer needed for this purpose and many ponds are therefore no longer maintained. They are remnants of an old form of agriculture that created important habitats. These now mostly have to be restored or maintained through nature conservation measures.
This is because if a pond is no longer mowed or grazed, it slowly becomes overgrown with grass, shrubs and later even hedges. Eventually, you can no longer see any open water.
This happens much faster today than it used to because fertilisers release too many nutrients into the landscape and water. This causes plants and algae to grow faster and the pond can ‘tip over’ – meaning there is too little oxygen and animals in the water can no longer survive.
However, the illegal release of unwanted pets such as fish and turtles into ponds in the countryside also poses a threat – not only to dragonflies and damselflies but also to amphibians. This is because these pets eat the larvae of these animals.
Last but not least, climate change is altering habitats:
Prolonged droughts cause water bodies to dry up more often, preventing dragonfly and damselfly larvae from developing.
Would you like to help dragonflies and damselflies?
- Support nature conservation projects that create ponds or renature rivers and streams: Donate to nature conservation organisations or get involved yourself. You can also actively approach your local authority to encourage them to implement such projects on their land.
- Create a natural pond: If you have a garden, you can create a natural still water feature with different depths and native aquatic plants – this can even be combined with a swimming pond. Without fish and chlorine, it’s definitely a win-win situation!
You can find more information about dragonflies and damselflies here:
https://www.naju.de/f%C3%BCr-kinder/insektenwelt (particularly suitable for children, with species identification guide, but also very informative for adults)
https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/insekten-und-spinnen/libellen/02531.html
You can find more information on creating a natural garden pond here:
Or in French: https://reseaunature.natagora.be/mare-naturelle