Pygmy Snaketail

Species information

This chapter provides a review of progress towards the protection and recovery of Pygmy Snaketail in Ontario from 2007 to 2017.

Pygmy Snaketail (Ophiogomphus howei) is a member of the Clubtails group of dragonflies (family Gomphidae) and is endemic to eastern North America. Adults are smaller than most other dragonflies in Canada, with a body length of 31 to 37 millimetres. The body is black with a bright green thorax, vivid yellow markings on the abdomen and a large, transparent yellow-orange patch on the undersides of the wings. The small green-brown larvae are 19 to 22.5 millimetres in length; the lack of dorsal hooks distinguishes them from the larvae of other Ophiogomphus species.

There are two geographically distinct populations of Pygmy Snaketail in North America: one in the Appalachian region from New Brunswick to Tennessee, and the other around the Great Lakes in Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In Canada, Pygmy Snaketails have been located at 11 sites in New Brunswick and one site in northwestern Ontario, on the Namakan River.

Adult and larval forms of the Pygmy Snaketail have different and specialized habitat requirements. Swiftly flowing rivers at least 10 metres in width are ideal habitat for adults to lay their eggs and for larvae to feed at night, when they prey on invertebrates and small fish. Significant areas of fine sand and/or pea gravel substrate at a low to medium gradient are required for hatching of the eggs; also, the larvae burrow into the substrate during the day. Adults spend most of their time in the canopy of the forests around watercourses, not moving more than a few kilometres from their larval habitat.

Pygmy Snaketail faces several threats to its survival and recovery. Dam construction on rivers has the potential to eliminate the swift flowing water and constant supply of fine sediment that larvae are reliant upon. Dams, as well as forest harvesting and run-off from agricultural land uses near rivers, may cause additional impacts such as erosion, siltation, and lowered water quality.

The survival and recovery of Pygmy Snaketail are influenced by other factors as well, including invasive aquatic plants and introduced predators (for example, Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)), collisions with vehicles, and recreational use of water during the emergence period. Also, given the ecological limitation of being a localized, non-migratory species, it is unlikely that Pygmy Snaketail could recolonize an area after extirpation.

Pygmy Snaketail is listed as endangered at the provincial level (Species at Risk in Ontario List) and special concern at the federal level (Schedule 1 under the Species at Risk Act). Globally, it is considered to be vulnerable (NatureServe Explorer).

Provincial status

The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) assessed Pygmy Snaketail as endangered in 2011. As a result, it was added to the Species at Risk in Ontario List under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (“ESA” or the Act) in 2012. In future assessments, COSSARO may consider information gained through protection and recovery actions regarding the species’ threats and trends in population and distribution.

Species and habitat protection

Protecting Pygmy Snaketail and its habitat are key components in the implementation of the ESA and continue to be government-led actions, as identified in the government response statement (GRS). As an endangered species, Pygmy Snaketail has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken under the ESA since it was listed in 2012. The species’ habitat has been protected from being damaged or destroyed since 2012, based on the general habitat definition in the ESA.

Any person who negatively impacts Pygmy Snaketail or its habitat without prior authorization may be prosecuted under the ESA.

Recovery strategy

A recovery strategy for Pygmy Snaketail was published on January 11, 2013, which was within the timeframe required by the ESA. Recovery strategies are advice to government and represent the best available scientific knowledge. The strategy identifies the habitat needs of the species and the threats that it faces, while recommending objectives and approaches for its protection and recovery. The recovery strategy also includes recommendations on the areas of habitat to be considered in the development of a habitat regulation.

Government response statement

The government published the GRS for Pygmy Snaketail on October 11, 2013 which was within the timeframe required by the ESA. The GRS is the Government of Ontario’s species-specific policy on what is needed to protect and recover the species, and includes an associated recovery goal.

To help achieve this goal, the government leads, supports and prioritizes recovery actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal are provided in section 2.5 of the Species at Risk Program Status (2008-2015).

The GRS for Pygmy Snaketail also lists three actions the government supports others to undertake for the species. These government-supported actions fall under the objectives identified in the GRS, which are:

• Determine the distribution, relative abundance, and demographics of Pygmy Snaketail in Ontario
• Protect and maintain the quality and quantity of habitat at existing sites

Government-funded projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Pygmy Snaketail is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported two projects designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Pygmy Snaketail.^{footnote 1[1]} Both of these projects ($11,197) focused exclusively on the species. In addition to the government funding, partners reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($73,730) from other sources. This amount includes in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners also reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 64 individuals who volunteered 2,395 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Pygmy Snaketail.

The remainder of this section highlights one project supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions for the species.

In July 2016, a stewardship partner led a project to conduct surveys in search of evidence of Pygmy Snaketail along the Namakan River in northwestern Ontario, where it was last observed in 2007. The objectives of the project were to survey the historic observation site, upper river stretches from Lac La Croix to Namakan Lake, and any other suitable habitat discovered in the area for evidence of the presence of Pygmy Snaketail.

In the area of the historic observation site, surveys for adults were conducted at rapids and eddies and along the river banks using binoculars. Insect nets were used to capture and identify flying adult dragonflies. To collect exuviae (larval casings), surveys by foot were conducted along the shorelines and at bridge abutments; eddies and pools were searched by canoe. To survey the upper reaches of the Namakan River, surveys were done by canoe, focussing on waters downstream from swifts and rapids, and along rocky shorelines. High water levels prevented more thorough investigations of river bank and beach areas. Although no observations of Pygmy Snaketail adults or exuvaie were made, the project resulted in 100 hours of search effort by three experienced naturalists.

The project supports the high-priority action in the GRS for Pygmy Snaketail to survey for larvae and larval casings along the Namakan River using specific methodologies appropriate for the species.

Species at Risk Stewardship Fund

• 
  2

  projects included Pygmy Snaketail

• 
  
  
  $11,197

  for Pygmy Snaketail exclusively

• 
  $73,730

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  64

  volunteers

• 
  2,395

  volunteer hours

Efforts to minimize adverse effects on Pygmy Snaketail

Supporting partners through permits and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.

One ‘protection or recovery’ (i.e., 17(2)(b)) permit has been issued for Pygmy Snaketail since the species has been protected under the ESA. ‘Protection or recovery’ permits are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist in the protection or recovery of a species at risk. The permit was issued to enable the collection of larval dragonflies during a study of spawning and larval drift events for sturgeon within the Namakan River system.

One activity that may affect Pygmy Snaketail or its habitat has been registered under ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17) of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. The registration requires the registered individual to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as:

• Implementing a mitigation plan developed by an expert on the species that includes steps to minimize adverse effects on the species and its habitat (for example, ensuring the activity is carried out by a person with expertise in the type of protection or recovery work involved)
• Reporting observations of the species to the government using the Ontario Species at Risk Observation Reporting Form

Occurrences of Pygmy Snaketail in Ontario

One population^{footnote 2[2]} of Pygmy Snaketail has been documented in Ontario. This population is considered to be extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years). The extant population is located along the Namakan River in northwestern Ontario.

Since 2012 when the Pygmy Snaketail was listed on the ESA, the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received one record of the species. This record is based on an observation in 2007. Surveys conducted on the Namakan River in 2009, 2010, and 2016 did not result in any new observations of adults or exuviae.

It is possible that there are observations of Pygmy Snaketail that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species to the government is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Pygmy Snaketail, and any other species at risk observed, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

Summary of progress

Progress has been made towards all of the government-led actions. The Government of Ontario has directly undertaken actions to:

• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA
• Encourage the submission of Pygmy Snaketail data to the government's central repository at the NHIC
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario
• Protect Pygmy Snaketail through the ESA. Explore options and as necessary develop and enforce a habitat regulation identifying the specific habitat of the species
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover Pygmy Snaketail. Support will be provided through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services
• Establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to encourage collaboration and reduce duplication of efforts

Government-supported actions are organized under recovery objective focus areas. Progress has been made towards two of the government-supported recovery objectives and two of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Pygmy Snaketail.

Under the objective to determine the distribution, relative abundance, and demographics of Pygmy Snaketail in Ontario, progress has been made towards one of the actions through a project that was supported by Species at Risk Stewardship Program:

• Survey for larvae and larval casings along the Namakan River using specific methodologies appropriate for Pygmy Snaketail. Ideally surveys need to be conducted in June for an extended period to increase the likelihood of detection (Action No. 1 – High Priority).

Under the objective to protect and maintain the quality and quantity of habitat at existing sites, progress has been made, through the forest management planning process, towards the single action to:

• Work with landowners and stakeholders to maintain good water quality, natural river flow conditions, and adjacent forest cover for Pygmy Snaketail (Action No. 3).

The recovery goal for Pygmy Snaketail is to maintain habitat suitability at its existing locations to support the persistence of the species in Ontario. Effort made towards the government-led and government-supported actions has helped to make progress towards the recovery goal for the species. There has been considerable search effort for this rare and cryptic dragonfly species, with surveys conducted in 2009, 2010 and 2016. Through the forest management planning process, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has identified an Area of Concern prescription that applies to forest operations in areas of suitable aquatic habitat for the species. The estimated viability of the Namakan population remains at excellent, good or fair.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Pygmy Snaketail should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species, particularly those actions identified as high priority in the GRS or actions that have received less support and may be considered in future activities and associated decisions regarding the protection and recovery of the species:

• Research adult habitat use, particularly how far inland Pygmy Snaketail travels for foraging (Action No.2).

Additional survey work is required on the Namakan River in order to determine the full extent of the population, in particular the suitability of larval habitat. Surveying in the month of June, when exuviae are most likely to be present will increase the probability of discovering the species.

Moving forward, protecting and recovering Pygmy Snaketail will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made towards protecting and recovering Pygmy Snaketail in Ontario.

Summary of progress towards the protection and recovery of Pygmy Snaketail (2007 to 2017)

Provincial Status

Pygmy Snaketail is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). The species has been protected from being killed, harmed, harassed, captured or taken and its habitat has been protected from damage or destruction under the ESA since 2012.

Species-specific documents and guidance published by the government

• Recovery Strategy for Pygmy Snaketail (2013)
• Pygmy Snaketail: Ontario Government Response Statement (2013)

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct two projects ($11,197) that focused exclusively on Pygmy Snaketail and supported the protection and recovery of the species.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners involve 64 individuals who volunteered 2,395 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Pygmy Snaketail. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $73,730.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The government has issued one ‘protection or recovery’ permit under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA.
• One activity has been registered for Pygmy Snaketail under ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17) of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA.

Occurrences and distribution

• One population of Pygmy Snaketail has been documented along the Namakan River in northwestern Ontario. It is considered to be extant. Follow-up surveys have been conducted in 2009, 2010 and 2016 to further document the species’ population and distribution.

Related information

Categorizing and Protecting Habitat under the Endangered Species Act

Natural Heritage Information Centre

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act Regulation 242/08

Ontario Recovery Strategy and Government Response Statement for Pygmy Snaketail

Policy Guidance on Harm and Harass under the Endangered Species Act

Species at Risk in Ontario List

Species at Risk Stewardship Program