Rare dragonfly introduced into remote area of Cumbria to reverse its decline

White-faced darters thrive in bogs, breeding in acidic pools containing sphagnum moss, and roost and feed in woodlands. Photograph: David Morris

With its chalk-white face and bright flame-coloured markings, the white-faced darter dragonfly is a distinctive sight as it flutters around England’s peat bogs.

The rare dragonfly, which breeds in mossy pools, is at threat of local extinction, but now conservationists are trying to end its population crash by introducing it into a remote corner of Cumbria.