How releasing Great Plains mudbugs can help save the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly of Illinois’ wetlands
Along the Des Plaines River in mid-spring, a small Illinois wetland sits quietly in the gray, humid air. But beneath unassuming cattails, water wakes up the ground. Bright green horsetail grows straight and tall in little pools. Gradually, the sound of trickling water takes over: four “streamlets” coaxed into being by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
These streamlets are the ideal habitat for Great Plains mudbugs (Lacunicambarus nebrascensis) raised behind the scenes at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. The mudbugs (or crayfish), cool and tough with newly hardened shells, wave their claws in the air before our animal care team slips them into the narrow, shallow streamlets. Eventually, each mudbug will burrow down deep into the mud, creating a home ensconced in underground water.
These burrows make way for an endangered roommate: the Hine’s emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana). A rare dragonfly native to Illinois, this species relies on the mudbug’s watery habitat to survive. In support of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s conservation efforts, mudbugs from Brookfield Zoo Chicago offer the dragonflies a chance at recovery.
Why Hine’s Emerald Dragonflies Need Mudbugs
To make it to a short adulthood, Hine’s emerald dragonflies need wet environments with shallow, gently moving water broken up by vegetation. After hatching, they spend 2 to 4 years of their lives as larvae. They then take up residence in mudbug burrows to make it through the winter and dry spells.
Using small hairs along their bodies, the larvae move along the ground and clamber into the burrows. If they stay still and aren’t noticed by the mudbug, they have a chance to make it to metamorphosis.
"Conservation work is often complicated and involves in-depth understanding of complex relationships,” said Lead Animal Care Specialist Mike Masellis, who helped raise and release the mudbugs. “While mudbugs can technically be a predator to the Hines emerald dragonfly larvae, the research shows that mudbug burrows can be important to the overall success of the dragonflies.”
Even with this strange relationship and all the right conditions, though, an adult Hine’s emerald dragonfly only lives a month or two. This leaves a small window for reproduction, making population growth a challenge.
As Illinois’ wetland habitat has disappeared, the Hine’s emerald dragonfly’s journey has gotten more difficult. Approximately 90% of the state’s 10 million acres of wetland is gone today, destroyed by urban and agricultural land development. Without proper wetland habitat, the Hine’s emerald dragonfly remains both federally and state endangered. It can only be found in a few spots in northeastern Illinois. The other remaining populations live in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri.
How Brookfield Zoo Chicago Supports Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Species Recovery
By raising and releasing Great Plains mudbugs near the Des Plaines River, Brookfield Zoo Chicago is attempting to help create more habitat for Hine's emerald dragonflies. But species recovery is a team effort. The more teams that collaborate, the more mudbugs can be released. Once the mudbugs are settled in their streamlets, the dragonflies need to be introduced.
Conservation intervention for the species is in its early stages, supported by leading research from the University of South Dakota and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services grants. Larvae from the wild are raised at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Urban Stream Research Center. Meanwhile, partners like Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, and Lincoln Park Zoo are raising and releasing mudbugs, creating new breeding grounds where adult Hine’s emerald dragonflies can lay their eggs in water, with mudbug burrows nearby.
Together, we’re producing healthy habitat for the endangered species. We're also supporting the overall health of Illinois’ wetlands, protecting the land and its complex relationships.
Like the mudbug and its roommate — though perhaps less precarious — our unique relationships offer us new opportunities. Eventually, Brookfield Zoo Chicago hopes to help raise Hine’s emerald dragonflies behind the scenes as well. Though it’s just the beginning, each mudbug curling into the earth opens the door for teeming life among the wetlands.
How You Can Help Save Wetlands for Mudbugs and Dragonflies
Wetlands — bogs, marshes, fens, swamps, and more — are rich ecosystems that support a wide range of wildlife, provide flood protection and control, purify water, and more. When you help protect wetlands, you care for both the creatures within them and the surrounding communities. Here are some ways you can look after our wetlands:
Pick up litter and reduce plastic use.
Wetland animals may try to eat plastic household trash such as cups, bags, food wrappers, bottles, and more. Help keep them healthy and safe by picking up litter, recycling, and choosing reusable options over single-use plastics.Avoid pesticides and fertilizers.
For animals that rely on groundwater like mudbugs and Hine’s emerald dragonflies, polluted runoff from pesticides and fertilizers can be deadly. Use natural or organic household cleaners and gardening and landscaping methods instead. Native species are more resilient, reducing the need for pesticides and fertilizers and inviting pollinators.Stay on the trail.
Wetland soil can be very sensitive. Avoid hiking off trails when walking in wetlands to limit damage.Support the Wetlands Protection Act.
The Illinois Wetlands Protection Act regulates development, which helps preserve the remaining 10% of our state’s wetlands. It also ensures that streams that dry up seasonally are protected, not just major waterways — good news for the Hine’s emerald dragonfly. You can write to your representatives to encourage their support.
