South Coast residents are excited at spotting a rare Sable Cruiser dragonfly, one of only about twenty such sightings since the insect was discovered in 1920. It is also the southern most sighting of the unique insect species normally found in Mpumalanga and the lowveld.
Residents at the mature lifestyle estate of Renishaw Hills, which has a strong focus on conservation, identified the creature as part of a ‘citizen scientist’ initiative.
The estate, which used to be a sugar cane farm, underwent extensive rehabilitation led by landscaper and botanist Dr Elsa Pooley with one of KZN’s leading experts in rehabilitation, Geoff Nichols.
“We’re now seeing the fruits of this labour with our local Citizen Scientists actively documenting the incredible biodiversity supported by the conservation area here,” said Barto van der Merwe, MD of developers Renishaw Property Developments.
To document the return of animal and plant species, a group of around 44 local citizen scientists, many Renishaw Hills residents, set up a project on the global iNaturalist platform three years ago to record and study wildlife.
Tim McClurg, one of the Citizen Scientists involved in the project, said that iNaturalist – which is supported by the National Geographic Society, among others – is the most prominent platform of natural sciences: “Citizen Science opens the door to a hugely advanced system whereby biodiversity observations may be made constantly across the globe and shared instantly via a vast network.”
To date the group has made 13 863 observations spread across 1 796 species, with McClurg noting the dragonfly sighting as one of the rarest. Recalling the event last December, he said he photographed a dragonfly near the Renishaw Hills Community Centre, which he then posted on iNaturalist.
“The response was immediate and enthusiastic from our local group of experts – among them Peter Small - who confirmed it was a Sable Cruiser [Phyllomacromia monoceros], which is incredibly rare, localised and vulnerable,” noted McClurg. “The total number of specimens ever seen in South Africa is probably around 20, with the first recorded sighting in Barberton, Mpumalanga around 1920.”
He says the most recent Renishaw Hills sighting is by far the furthest south the Sable Cruiser dragonfly has been spotted – by about 800 kilometres: “This raises a few questions. Has it always occurred here and simply been overlooked? Was it blown down in a storm? Is there a link with global warming? These are the sorts of questions that we may be able to answer with a vastly increased iNaturalist database.”
Small agreed, saying this ‘phenomenal sighting’ is an indication of the importance of Renishaw Hills as a dragonfly area: “We have recorded 75 of the 165 species of southern African dragonflies and damselflies in our area, with a few being unusual distribution records. Our area is rated as one of the top dragonfly hunting spots in the country.”
Citizen Science is effectively the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists. Platforms like iNaturalist provide instant access to many millions of records across the globe – each of which is accompanied by photographs, location, identification and much more.
McClurg encourages others to join as Citizen Scientists, stating: “By joining and contributing, you may open a path that will enrich your knowledge of wildlife and give you the satisfaction of contributing to an important cause.”
Anyone interested in finding out more can visit www.inaturalist.org. There are no obligations, it’s free of charge, and images can be taken and submitted directly from a cellphone.