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Species Spotlight: Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
With gossamer wings that span less than 4 inches, the dazzling Hine's emerald dragonfly might not look mighty, but to the other insects it snatches—at speeds up to 35 miles an hour—it’s a giant in the sky.
Like others of its kind, this winged wonder can outmaneuver the best human-designed airplanes. Able to fly backwards, suddenly change direction in mid-air, hover and reach top speeds in a fraction of a second, it scoops swarming gnats, mosquitoes and other prey from the air using its legs as a basket.
But this elegant species with emerald-green eyes—capable of seeing almost 360 degrees at once—only enjoys its aerial acrobatics for a few weeks. The majority of its two- to four-year lifespan is spent as a nymph in slow-moving waters, marshes and meadows—which is the reason it’s so critically endangered.
Many of the wetlands so vital to its survival in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin—the only states where the species still occurs—have been drained for development. Pesticides that wash with the rain into surface water are also deadly to dragonfly larvae.
Protecting habitat is crucial to ensuring these creatures continue flying through the air and gobbling up insects with the greatest of ease.
