Martin,A., Linington,S. & Foreman,B., 2024. The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Sussex – their status and distribution. REGUA Publications. ISBN  970-0-9568291-3-9  pp 154.   £20 softback.

Three local naturalists have compiled this excellent up to date review of the county’s odonata, some 44 species comprising 28 species of dragonflies and 16 damselflies. The book is beautifully illustrated in colour, mostly shot in SE England, with each species showing males and females and any forms. The prelims are exhaustive on life cycles, and comparisons with neighbouring counties, especially Hampshire, Surrey and Kent; Sussex benefiting from the heathlands of Ashdown Forest when compared to Kent.  The book would not be so good if not for the data provided by the Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre (SWT), with access to the 1,900 observers’ records from the last 20 years. Species thus have a map showing dot distribution overlying the habitats of both East and West Sussex. There is also graph data showing trends on occupied 1km squares. The maps showing species per 1km square are interesting if not predictable, highlighting wetland areas and river valleys, and generally indicating that the quantum of records demonstrates greater certainty of known distribution. More odonata are now recorded every year up to 2020 than in 1985. Towards the end of the book there is a comprehensive review of all the best places to view odonata, showing inviting photographs of each location and descriptions. The message from this book is that the future will be like the last few years with new arrivals, vagrants, migrants and others firming up on their new territories gained. Climate Change is discussed, stating that in places such as Ashdown Forest warm periods of dry weather may decline heathland odonata populations.  Some species such as the Small Red Damselfly are at risk of local extinctions and are Nationally Scarce, and the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly is classified as Near-Threatened on the British Odonata Red Data List. There are references, but no index. This is a fine compilation of the species of this order in Sussex, not as a field guide for the pocket (it is too big) but as a timely reference for the home or lab. Congrats to all three authors.