WASHINGTON (CN) - The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has designated nearly 27,000 acres of habitat critical to the survival of the Hines emerald dragonfly which was listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act in 1995.
The Hines is the only dragonfly listed under the act, and was first documented in 1931 in Northern Ohio. Since the time of its discovery, the geographic distribution of the dragonfly seems to have been shrinking and known populations are mostly concentrated in Door County, Wisconsin.
The critical habitat designation has been given to 37 geographically distinct locations where the Hines can still be found. The major threat to the species is the loss of habitat where the larval form of the Hines can be sustained. The Hines remains in its larval form longer than other dragonflies and is easily killed by birds, ground water contamination and urban development.
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