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| Courtesy of USFWS, photo by Paul Burton |
Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly
Description and ecology
Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly aka (Ohio Emerald, Hine’s bog skimmer, hook-tipped emerald) has a dark metallic green body with pale yellow and red stripes. Its eyes are distinctively large and emerald in color. It has a long black tail with a hook at the end and iridescent wings. The average length of an adult is around 2.3–2.5 inches with a surprising wingspan of 3.3 inches. They spend the majority of their lives in the larval stage and only live 2–6 weeks as a flying adult. Their prey consists of insects they catch while airborne.
Geographic and population changes
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| Courtesy of michodo.blogspot.com |
This dragonfly has been known to occur in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri. Unfortunately, it has been extirpated from Ohio, Indiana and Alabama. The Illinois population is the largest and most secure. Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly primarily resides in wetland habitats like marshes, seeps and sedge meadows. The areas usually have slow moving water flows and have soil that overlay dolomite bedrock.
Listing date and type of listing
Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly was listed as an endangered species back in 1995. This was due to the continuous habitat destruction caused by agriculture, commercial and industrial developments as well as pesticide use and pollution. The decreasing availability of groundwater or clean groundwater also poses a threat. Wetlands are already rare and the loss of even small portions of habitat can have devastating impacts on the surrounding wildlife. Lack of genetic diversity in the smaller populations, as well as previous histories of extirpation, are also problematic in this dragonfly’s survival.
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| Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy |
Cause of listing and main threats
The Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly’s recovery plan consists of two units that have a minimum of three main populations and three subpopulations under those. Habitats supporting a minimum of three subpopulations should be legally protected and managed. This protection must include watershed conservation, land purchase and deed limitations. There also needs to be more studies conducted about the population sizes and sex ratios. Previously, females have had a higher mortality rate compared to the males and created an imbalanced sex ratio. The estimated cost is around $13,163,000 for the entire recovery plan. Though this may seem like an outrageous expense, the results of the plan will benefit entire wetland communities as well as protect groundwater for human amenities. Full recovery of this dragonfly could happen by 2019 if all of these goals are met.
What can I do?
In order to help this rare and fascinating species, you can educate others and important policy makers about the issue. By spreading the word, you can help limit development and destruction of the habitat. You can also limit your own use of pesticides, herbicides and anything toxic in outdoor areas. Pollutants like these can easily contaminate ground water and nearby wetland habitats.
Other Resources
Works Cited
“Hine's Emerald Dragonfly.” The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/insects/hines-emerald-dragonfly.xml.
Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “Hine's Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora Hineana).” Official Web Page of the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/hed/hins_fct.html.
“University of Illinois.” Illinois Natural History Survey, wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/resources/inhsreports/autumn-01/hines/.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2001. Hine's Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana) Recovery Plan. Fort Snelling, MN. 120p
By Shea Irwin
By Shea Irwin
It's wild that they only spend about 2-6 weeks as flying adults. Do you think that this short flying lifespan combined with the rapid growth of agricultural land contributes to the resson they have been extirpated from several states? - Samantha Jones
ReplyDeleteWetlands are so important to many species, but I did not know they were important to dragonflies. Many people want to protect species like mammals, and I think it is interesting to read about an endangered insect. Why do you think we should protect them? How are they important in their ecosystem? -Kylie Kuwada
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that this was a species on the endangered species list! It is no surprise, however, that it is due to agriculture and pesticides. I wonder how they play a role in their ecosystem? -Allie Jones
ReplyDeleteSince pesticides are a threat, farmers could make sure to regulate the use of application so there ins't excess pollution!-Chloe Knowd
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting that full recovery could be only one year away in 2019! I saw that you mentioned limiting use of herbicides and pesticides; however, I wonder how effective this really is since these chemicals can contaminate water sources for years. I hope that all of the goals you have outlined can be met and this species can be taken off the ESA soon! - Melanie Jenkins
ReplyDeleteI've never thought of the agricultural threat of dragon flies but I can see how they could potentially eliminate some insects that are pests. Maybe if farmers knew their role in the Ecosystem, they would be incentive to not use as many pesticides? -Sam Korff
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that these dragonflies catch their prey airborne. Why do the females have a higher mortality rate? I feel like we need to come up with a solution for pesticide use because it is affecting many other species as well. - Courtney Koyama
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that most people consider insects to be a nuisance makes getting support to protect these endangered insects harder than if it were a large mammal. However, the fact that they could have a full recovery soon is very exciting! -Jennifer Jaing
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that they tend to live near slower moving water, like in marshes and such. I never thought of that detail, also that they have such a short life expectancy. Great blog!- Carolyn Inglis
ReplyDelete