A rare species of dragonfly has been found breeding in a Waterford bog.
The Emperor dragonfly was spotted breeding in the Irish Peatland Conservation Council's reserve at Fenor Bog earlier this summer.
Until recently, the Emperor was thought to be a migrant to Ireland, but interim reports from an all-Ireland dragonfly survey, which began in 2000 and concludes next year, have confirmed that the rare species is breeding in Ireland. However, this was the first occasion on which one was seen mating.
The Emperor is about 78 millimetres in length. The male has an apple-green body and a long blue tail with a black stripe on the upper side. The female is uniformly apple green, but also has the tail stripe. They live in water as larvae during the first two years of life.
Judicious management at Fenor Bog, which comprised drain-blocking and raising of the water table, has assisted in attracting dragonflies to the area, according to Mr Peter Foss, of the IPCC.
The Fenor Bog, which is conserved jointly by the IPCC and the local Moin Fhionnurach Development Association, is expected to be declared a National Nature Reserve in the near future.