The once rare Norfolk hawker dragonfly has been spotted in other counties, according to reports from the British Dragonfly Society

A Norfolk dragonfly species, which was on the edge of total extinction 30 years ago, is now not only flourishing in the county but has spread its wings to others, according to a report.

The once rare Norfolk hawker dragonfly has been spotted in an annual survey conducted by the British Dragonfly Society in counties as far away as Sussex, Lancashire and South Devon.

After its numbers fell dramatically in the Cambridgeshire Fens as far back as 1893, up until the 1990s, the hawker was almost entirely restricted to the Broads.

Scientists believe the recent spread of the Norfolk hawker, which is still listed as endangered in the Odonata Red Data List, is most likely due to climate change, with habitat changes also playing a significant role.

British Dragonfly Society member Dr Pam Taylor urged caution on the news as she said there were concerns that wetlands the dragonflies need to survive could be under threat.

She added: Although the hawker’s range has expanded greatly, there are still huge gaps in its current distribution.

“It will need to infill many of these gaps before the species is truly secure.”