Welsh Journals

THE DRAGONFLIES OF WEST WALES NATURALISTS' TRUST MAINLAND RESERVES IN PEMBROKESHIRE D. N. CARSTAIRS INTRODUCTION During the summer of 1977 all the mainland Pembrokeshire reserves were visited regularly and the Odonata recorded for each site. Where prac- ticable counts were made and the locations of each species within the reserve noted, and although totals are not given in the text use is made of these counts when citing relative frequencies of species seen. In addition, recent literature was consulted (Sage, 1956-1972); essentially however this paper relates exclusively to observations made during 1977. Of the twelve Trust reserves visited (Table 1) seven were considered as being dragonfly sites, the absence of standing water being the overriding factor affecting presence or absence. TABLE 1 Dragonflies observed on West Wales Naturalists' Trust Reserves during 1977. SITE SPECIES DOWROG GOODWICK COED MARLOES OLD MILL PORTFIELD FELlN-Y- COMMON MOOR LLWYNGORRAS MERE GROUNDS GATE GIGFRAN Agrion splendens Agrion virgo Anax imperator Ceriagrion tenellum Coenagrion puella? Cordulegaster boltonii Enallagma cyathigerum Ischnura elegans Lestes sponsa Libellula depressa Libellula quadrimaculata # 4k # Orthetrum coerulescens Pyrrhosoma nymphula Sympetrum striolatum Aeshna sp. #$ TOTAL 13 1 4 4 5 5 4 3 SITE DETAILS Dowrog Common Map Reference: SM 769268. An extensive area of some 100 hectares lying c. 3 km east of St. David's. The vegetation consists of a complicated patchwork of Calluna/Ulex gallii heath with MolinialErica tetralix in wetter areas. In addition an extensive Carex riparia fen type exists and Salix carr is a peripheral feature. A total of some 350 flowering plants have been recorded (T. A. W. Davis, pers. comm.), the whole area being of great interest to botanists and en- tomologists alike. A number of available habitats exist.