How to Complete the New Odonata Recording Card (RA83)

Accurate information needs to be supplied by recorders around the UK on the status and breeding activity of our dragonfly species. Such information should be submitted on the official recording card, RA83. You can download the RA83 recording card from the Recording webpage and print out as many copies as necessary.

Within the British Dragonfly Society, the Dragonfly Recording Network (DRN) has been set up to handle Odonata records in the British Isles.

The following instructions provide guidance on how the data should be recorded. All information on the RA83 should be completed in CAPITALS in black or blue ink, for ease of those who verify the records and enter them into the computer.

Completed cards should be sent to the appropriate Vice-County Recorders (contact details are available from the Recorders webpage).

Locality - Site name as it appears on 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps. If it does not appear on the map, then please give the 'official' local name. The preferred method of naming the site is to give the nearest town or village first, followed by the name of the water body. For example, 'Pangbourne, River Thames' or 'Blashford, Ivy Lake'.

Grid Reference - Please give a two letter/six figure reference (e.g. SK278743). The letters can be found from the edges of the map and change on the '00' lines. When taking a reference, first read across the map.In the example above, 27 is for the square and the 8 for the distance across that square. Then read up the map. For the example above, 74 is for the square and then 3 for the distance up within that square.

Vice-County number and Name - Please enter the Vice-County number and name in the boxes on the top left-hand corner of the RA83(VC numbers and names can be found on the Recording webpage).

Date - Express the date using numbers, for example use 21 07 2003 for 21st July 2003. If the observations are the maximum numbers seen over a period of time (you might do this for your garden pond), please use one card for each new month and only fill in month and year on the card.

Altitude - 1:50,000 OS maps give contours in metres (m). Accuracy to the nearest 5m is sufficient.

Recorder - Give the name of the person who originally observed the species. If two or more people together saw the species, add these names to the Comments box. Full names or at least all initials are required as well as surname(s). If different people saw different species at the same site on the same day, separate cards should be used for each visit. Recorders will be allocated recorder numbers. If the recorder knows his or her number, please place that in the boxesto the right of the Recorder(s) box. Otherwise leave these boxes blank.

Card compiler - The full name or initials and surname of the person completing the card are required. If the compiler is also the recorder, or one of them, then only the compiler's initials need be given. As with the Recorder(s) box, add the recorder number if known.

Source of Record - Please indicate 'FIELD' in this box for all site-based records.

Recording Species and Breeding Activity - Please record all Odonata species and their breeding activities seen on each visit to a site as it is important to establish correlation between species. The preferred method of completing records for all species is as follows:

  1. Draw a line through the species name whilst ensuring that the line does not extend into the numerical code before the name (this action is optional, but does help to ensure letter codes are entered against the correct species names).
  2. In the Adult column (Ad) enter a letter code for the estimated total number of adults.This total includestenerals and all adults that are engaged in breeding activity, such as tandem or copulating pairs and/or ovipositing females, but does not include emergents. Please attempt to be as accurate as possible with thistotal adultestimate. If an estimate is not available, a + can be entered in the ‘Ad’ column, but please note that putting a +will only count as the equivalent of one individual when the record reaches the national database.
  3. Similar estimated codes are entered in the appropriate box(es) to indicate breeding activity such as tandem or copulating pairs (Co), where the number of pairs should be counted. These pairs should also be included as two adults in the ‘Ad’ column. In the same way, ovipositing females (Ov) are counted separately, but also form part of the overall adult total.Any larvae (La), exuviae (Ex) and emergents (Em) present should be recorded, but these do not form part of the adult total.An emergent dragonfly (Em) is one that is in the process of emerging or has just emerged, butis judged still to be at its emergence site. This should not be confused with 'teneral' adults, which may have flown in from elsewhere and therefore should be included in the adult count. Deformed adults incapable of flight and judged to be still at their site of origin, can be included as emergents.
  4. When recording larvae (La) every effort should be made to return them to the site of their capture. Recorders should be aware that both Norfolk HawkerAeshna isosceles and Southern Damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale are scheduled under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and should not be collected (as larvae or adults) without an appropriate licence.
  5. If a species is seen that does not occur on the RA83, add the species name to the 'Comments' section along with details as to numbers and activity. If more space is required, details can be written on the back of the form, but please indicate that this has been done by placing a note in the Comments box.

Conservation Status / Threats - Indicate the Conservation Status of the site using one (or as many as apply) of the following acronyms and any others that apply:

NNR = National Nature Reserve

LNR = Local Nature Reserve

Trust NR = Nature Reserve owned and/or managed by County Wildlife Trust

RSPB = Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve

SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest

NT = National Trust land which may also be any of the above

Habitat / Comments - So that these records can contribute to producing national trends as part of the DragonflyWatch recording initiative please answer the question ‘Are these all the dragonflies observed on this visit’. Also As a minimum requirement, please give habitat type plus a few adjectives, for example: slow flowing river, shallow heathland pond. The more details given, the better. Other species observed can also be added here if they are not listed in the Zygoptera (Damselflies) or Anisoptera (Dragonflies) columns.

Sketch-map of site - On the back of the form, there is an option to draw a sketch-map of the site. Please indicate at the front of the form that such a map has been drawn on the reverse side (tick relevant box on form). Sketch-maps should be legible and include one or more features relatable to the relevant 1:50,000 OS map. Please show important habitat features, including land use. For rarer species, please indicate the location of any areas that are important for oviposition, emergence orlarvae, if these are localised.

Transects – If your observation is part of a regular transect then please indicate this by ticking the relevant box on the form

Adapted from A.Hold's article in 'DRAGONFLY RECORDER', Newsletter of the ORS, No.17, Spring 1997 (last updated April 2009)

Updated April 2013