On Wednesday 5^th April the British Dragonfly Society will be taking a closer look at the dragonfly larvae in our Dragonfly Hotspot pond. Stop by from 11:30am-2:30pm to take a closer look at dragonflies during the larval phase of their life cycle, and discover how they transform from their underwater beginnings into the eye-catching flying adults we know so well. Dragonflies spend most of their lives in their larval stage. 

Volunteers and staff will be surveying the pond and catching dragonfly larvae to identify. There will be larvae samples on display to view and free information about dragonflies to take away.

Azure Damselfy lava/photo credit: Steve Hewitt

During this time dragonflies catch and eat live prey at every opportunity using excellent hunting skills. They eat water fleas, bloodworms, other insect larvae, snails, tadpoles and small fish—the larger larvae taking the largest prey. Larval development typically takes one or two years, but ranges from 2–3 months (Emerald Damselfly) to more than five years (Golden-ringed Dragonfly).

Book gardens admission