Creation Season: Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly

A female Hine’s emerald dragonfly | Photo by Paul Burton

The Hine’s emerald dragonfly has bright emerald-green eyes, a metallic green body with yellow stripes, and a 3.5-inch wingspan. They are found in spring-fed wetlands in Michigan, but they are endangered.

This dragonfly goes through a long nymph period: it lives under water for up to 5 years after hatching, shedding its skin many times as it grows. When it emerges, shedding its skin one more time to become a flying adult, it will only live 4 -5 weeks.

It is considered endangered mostly because humans keep changing their habitats, draining wetlands and building on them. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Contamination of wetlands by pesticides or other pollutants also poses a threat. The dragonfly depends on pristine wetland or stream areas, with good water quality, for growth and development.” Go here to find out more.

Let’s pray that people will pay more attention to the needs of the Hine’s emerald dragonfly and other wetlands animals when we’re looking for places to build. And let’s pray that we can find healthier ways of managing lawns and farms that don’t use so many pesticides.