According to an expert, Devon's migrant dragonfly populations have exploded due to the severe drought in Europe.
The British Dragonfly Society's Devon recorder, Dave Smallshire, claimed that recent warm weather had turned the county into an "escape zone" for migratory dragonflies.
He claimed that compared to an average year, there were almost three times as many reports of the insect in the county.
Unquestionably, he said, "We are catching things that are fleeing.".
"They are seeking an environment that is suitable for them, and we have had the most wonderful four weeks or so of hot, sunny, dry weather with light winds, and that is absolutely perfect for the adult dragonflies. ".
The Chudleigh resident, Mr. Smallshire, claimed that severe droughts in the Mediterranean had forced dragonflies north by drying out the wetlands where they normally reside.
Then, he continued, they were dispersed in the direction of southern England by easterly and north-easterly winds.
As far south as the Sahara, according to Mr. Smallshire, the stray emperor species of dragonfly may be migrating.
I'd say we're an escape route," he declared.
If you're a dragonfly, it matters a lot that we're one degree warmer than we were fifty years ago. ".
For some bird species that have had difficulty finding food, the odonatologist said the increase in dragonflies was good news.
The fact that the chicks have been starving because they do not have enough insect food to eat is one of the reasons why house sparrows have been doing so poorly in Britain over the past ten years, he claimed.
Dragonflies are substantial, juicy protein sources. ".
No one of the county's 30 species of dragonflies and damselflies will survive the winter, according to Mr. Smallshire.
Dragonflies spend the majority of their lives submerged, but once they become adults, they can live for up to two to three months.
According to Mr. Smallshire, the recent hot weather that initially attracted migrant dragonflies to the UK may also eventually cause these wetlands to dry out.
"Ponds, streams, and rivers in some cases are threatened," he said. ".
PA Media has more reporting.
