Will dragonflies be here in the future?
A local expert says the suggestion is rather strange.
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David Halstead, director of research at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Natural Resources and Environment, says the dragonfly has been around for more than 300 million years and is not going away. However, their numbers have declined recently due to extreme heat and drought conditions in Saskatchewan.
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“Last year we had drought conditions, which caused the water (in the temporary ponds) to dry up. This wreaks havoc on dragonflies that have a very short development time in these ponds,”
Halstead says they are also an indicator and an insect of importance to the well-being of their immediate environment.
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“Dragonflies are excellent macroecological indicators. We should be able to use them to monitor the changes that are happening in the environment and the climate,” Halstead said. “They’re just a great organism, they survived the extinction of the dinosaurs. Climate change won’t. They’re still here.”
There are between 50 and 70 species of dragonflies in Saskatchewan.
He also adds that one of their main food sources has been in abundance this year due to the drop in numbers.
“One of their main food sources is mosquitoes, and there’s definitely a surplus of them this year compared to last year,” Halstead said.
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