🐦 FlyingCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Hine's emerald dragonfly
Somatochlora hineana
Hine's emerald dragonfly is a rare North American dragonfly dependent on calcium-rich wetlands fed by groundwater. Habitat drainage and degradation have made it one of the continent's most threatened dragonflies, and it is federally protected in the US.
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Quick facts
| Size | Dragonfly ~6 cm long with emerald-green eyes and a metallic body. |
| Lifespan | 1–5 years |
| Native region | North-central United States and Ontario, Canada |
| Climate | 🍂 Temperate |
| Genus | Somatochlora |
Habitat & enclosure
Breeds in spring-fed calcareous wetlands and fens, a scarce and easily damaged habitat. Wetland drainage, development, and contamination have eliminated many sites. It is federally protected in the United States; this profile is conservation/education only, focused on wetland protection.
Diet
Adults are aerial predators of small flying insects, while the long-lived aquatic larvae prey on aquatic invertebrates in the wetland. Larvae may even shelter in crayfish burrows during dry spells.
Behavior & temperament
The larval stage lasts several years in the wetland before a brief winged adult life. Its strict dependence on a rare wetland type makes site-specific hydrology protection the key to its survival.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)