Criteria for Proof of Breeding in Dragonflies - agreed by DCG [2004]
1. Successful Breeding
Confirmed: Exuvia present (presence of an exuvia constitutes that at least one specimen has completed a cycle from egg to adult at the site.)
Probable: Larva present or female oviposting or teneral (newly emerged adult) or regular presense of both sexes (normally annual presence in reasonable numbers or a repeated period consistant with the species life-cycle length). All records to be at, or adjacent to, a suitable water body.
2. Possible Breeding
- pair copulating or a female seen at a water body suitable for the species where at least one male has been observed has been engaged in some form reproductive behaviour, such as territoriality or pursuing females.
3. Adults Present:
- but none of the above breeding evidence or behaviour observed.
Notes:
- Care should be taken with water bodies less than one year old, especially those newly created with imported weed that might contain larvae.
- From outside agencies seeking 'Proof of Breeding everything in 'Successful Breeding' would be included.
- In Probable Successful Breeding, the 'repeated period consistant with species 'life-cycle length' will be different for different species. For example in bivoltine there will be two 'repeats' per year, but for semivoltine species the repeated time span will be two years, and so forth for other species.
- Adults[s] Present catagory is included to tie in with the established recording scheme and to provide a place to put all those records that fail to meet the criteria for Breeding, but which may contribute to that evidence in the future.
The DCG feels it important to point out that the above criteria should not replace the recording of raw data and this must be stressed whenever the criteria are published. The DCG believes that one of the main uses of these criteria will be for dealing with outside agencies requiring information. The BDS recording scheme will proceed as before.
