A NATIONAL Trust property near Malvern is proving to be a haven for rare dragonflies, according to a new survey.

The survey, carried out at Croome Park, shows an increase in the numbers of the elusive insects, at a time when the wetland habitats they favour are declining elsewhere in the country.

“Croome is such a fantastic place to spot dragonflies hovering around the lakeside. With so many water features in the parkland it’s a haven for these fascinating insects.” said Mike Averill, the expert who carried out the survey.

“This is our third year of surveying the dragonfly population at Croome and we are so pleased to see an increase in numbers for 2014, which is so important to show that they can recover from bad years given good weather and habitat.”

The survey revealed that the dragonfly population had picked up since 2013 when a prolonged cold spell until May meant plants were very late to flower and insects to lay their eggs.

Claire Install of the British Dragonfly Society said: “Croome is home to some great habitats for dragonflies including the river and lakes. Mike carries out regular dragonfly surveys at the park and provides management advice for the species that are found there.

"We would certainly recommend a visit to Croome on a sunny day between April and September to try to spot some of the 19 species living there.”

One species, the small red-eyed damselfly, has done well enough to expand to locations elsewhere in the county, including Hanley Swan, Hartlebury, Grimley and Berrow.

“Providing the right environment for the dragonflies and damselflies around the lake and river at Croome is really important to us” said Katherine Alker, Croome’s garden and parks manager. “We increase their habitat by leaving some uncut vegetation around our water margins to provide sheltered sites for the adult insects to perch, rest and lay their eggs, and for the larvae to emerge from the water.”