The National Museum of Natural History is coordinating nationwide inventories of butterflies and dragonflies in France to monitor the evolution of these insect populations, which are key indicators of the state of biodiversity. The observation data for each species is entered in the National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN).
Concerned about the decline in biodiversity throughout Europe, the Odonata Fund has allocated a donation to the National Museum of Natural History and the Office for Insects and their Environment.
This donation will enable to broaden the scope of the inventory of dragonflies in metropolitan by selecting and including twenty new significant sites for study, one of which is the Domaine des Etangs, located in the commune of Massignac in Charente Limousine.
All the data thus obtained are considered public and will be used for the publication of an Atlas of dragonflies in metropolitan France scheduled for the end of 2020.
The National Museum of Natural History will join forces with the Agency for Insects and their Environment (OPIE) and the French Odonatology Society (SFO) to collect data from additional sites (including the Domaine des Etangs), as part of the national dragonfly inventory.
All data obtained will be considered as public information.
Publication of an Atlas of Dragonflies in France scheduled for late 2020.
Founded in 1635, the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle is dedicated to nature and its relationship with humans, through basic and applied research, conservation and enhancement of collections, teaching, expertise and dissemination of knowledge. The Museum is historically based in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, but also has 12 other sites in France, all with one clear objective: to make knowledge on natural history accessible to all and to raise awareness as widely as possible to the importance of protecting the planet.