The British Dragonfly Society is appealing to the public to record dragonfly sightings this summer – with plenty of exciting dragonfly-spotting options in Scotland.

Scotland is home to a wealth of dragonflies, with a total of 23 breeding species recorded to date. In recent years there has been an influx of dragonflies from further south, with species such as broad-bodied chaser, emperor dragonfly and banded demoiselle now being found in locations that were unheard of a few years ago.

Three of the rarest species in the UK are found only in Scotland: the azure hawker, found in shallow bog pools in peatlands; the northern emerald, found in similar habitats; and the northern damselfly, which can be found in and around shallow, sedge-lined ponds and lochans at the edge of the Cairngorms.

Dragonflies spend the majority of their lives underwater, sometimes for as long as five or six years, and only survive as adults for a few weeks.

Over the past few years, larval habitats – especially the shallow pools of rarer species – have been known to dry out in early summer due to rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall. This is having fatal consequences for the larvae which are unable to survive extended and repeated drying out.

Daniele Muir, Scottish Conservation Officer with the British Dragonfly Society is encouraging more people to report their dragonfly sightings. She said: “We are appealing to anybody who sees dragonflies to record them so we can keep track of how they are faring. We are particularly interested in our rarer species and can provide targeted locations for anyone wanting to carry out dedicated dragonfly surveys. We encourage recording via iRecord which can be done on the app or the website.”

To get involved in dragonfly recording this summer, visit british-dragonflies.org.uk.