For the first time in the national park: threatened southern blue arrow discovered!

For the first time in the national park: threatened southern blue arrow discovered!

In the Kalcalpen national Park, biologists have made a sensational discovery: for the first time, the southern blue arrow (orthetry brunneum) was demonstrated in this protected area. This significant find represents the first secure evidence of this type of dragonfly in the Upper Austrian Prealps, as reported orf.at . A total of nine copies were spotted, which increases the number of dragonfly species in the national park to 16. Biologist Herbert Kerschbaumsteiner explained that the species, together with other heat -loving dragonfly species, increasingly penetrates into the northern alpine valleys, which is seen as part of an adapted habitat in the region.

This finding comes at a critical time, since the southern blue arrow in Austria is considered potentially endangered. The dragonflies were discovered on a renatured, groomed slope meadow south of the Karlhütte on the Hengstpass, an area that is of great importance for the dragonfly fauna. Librids need forest-free grassy biotopes both as hunting and maturity, with their larvae growing up near waters, mostly in flat riparian zones. However, intensive agricultural practices, such as the excessive use of severe cattle, can damage the sensitive habitats, which has a negative impact on the organisms living in the national park, an aspect that also from Kalkalpen.at is highlighted.

But the special thing about dragonflies is not only their way of life, but also their extraordinary skills. They are among the fastest insects in the world and can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. With a fascinating color vision, which includes over 30 color receptors, you are able to perceive a variety of colors that are invisible to the human eye. Their large faceted eyes, consisting of up to 30,000 individual eyes, contribute to their impressive hunting capacity - they catch insects in flight and are masterful acrobats of the air.