The dainty damselfly was formerly recorded as a breeding species in Britain and had thought to have become locally extinct after the North Sea flood of 1953 . There was a large viable population in East Anglia , but after the flood many seasons passed by without any sightings of the dainty damselfly leading to the conclusion that they had been extirpated . In 2010 , after 57 years without sightings , it had been positively identified and rediscovered in Kent . This meant that there had to have been a viable population all along , it just had diminished to critical numbers . The dainty damselfly is able to disperse quite widely so it is a possibility that a neighbouring population made its way back into the area
North Sea flood of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
Dainty damselfly