Hine’s Emerald Evaluation

COSSARO Candidate Species at Risk Evaluation for Hine’s Emerald (Somatochlora hineana)

Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) Assessed by COSSARO as Endangered

June 2011

Final

1.1 Current status and distribution

Current designations:

GRANK – G2G3 (Assessed 04/11/2004) (NatureServe 2011, accessed 27/05/2011) NRANK Canada – N1 (Assessed 20/07/2007) (NatureServe 2011, accessed 05/2011) COSEWIC – Endangered (May 2011)

SARA – Not listed (Environment Canada 2011)

ESA 2007 – Not listed (Ministry of Natural Resources 2011)

SRANK – S1 (NatureServe, accessed 05/2011)

Distribution in Ontario:

Known from the Minesing Wetlands in Simcoe County, west of Lake Simcoe.

Distribution and status outside Ontario:

The global range of Hine’s Emerald includes Ontario, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri. Historically, it was also known from Ohio, Indiana and Alabama where it is now thought to be extirpated.

Part 2 - Eligibility for Ontario status assessment

2.1 Application of eligibility criteria

Taxonomic distinctness

Yes. Described in 1931 and recognized as a valid taxon in all major treatments. No subspecies have been described.

Designatable Units

Single Ontario occurrence and single Designatable Unit.

Native status

Yes. Recently discovered in Ontario (2007), but almost certainly native.

Presence/absence

Present. Discovered in Ontario in 2007 and confirmed in 2008 and 2009.

2.2 Eligibility results

1. The putative taxon or DU is valid. Yes
2. The taxon or DU is native to Ontario. Yes
3. The taxon or DU is present in Ontario, extirpated from Ontario or extinct? Present

Part 3 - Ontario status based on COSSARO evaluation criteria

3.1 Application of primary criteria (rarity and declines)

1. Global rank

Threatened. G2G3

2. Global decline

Threatened. Long-term global decline of 25-90% and short-term global decline of 10-30% (NatureServe 2011). Extirpated in Indiana and Ohio and SH in Alabama.

3. Northeastern North America ranks

Endangered. Ranked as S1, S2, SH (Historic), or SX (Extirpated) in 100% of the northeastern North American jurisdictions in which it occurs or has occurred.

4. Northeastern North America decline

Threatened. Long-term global decline of 25-90% and short-term global decline of 10-30% (NatureServe 2011). Extirpated in Indiana and Ohio.

5. Ontario occurrences

Endangered. One Ontario occurrence.

6. Ontario decline

Insufficient information. The single Ontario population was recently discovered (2007) and no population monitoring data are available. The fen habitat at Minesing is in a relatively natural state although water levels may have declined over the last 35 years (COSEWIC 2011).

7. Ontario’s conservation responsibility

Not in any category. Ontario has less than 10% of the global range.

3.2 Application of secondary criteria (threats and vulnerability)

8. Population sustainability

Insufficient information. Population trends are unknown. No Population Viability Analyses have been conducted for the species in Ontario.

9. Lack of regulatory protection for exploited wild populations

Not in any category. No regulatory protection, but collecting is not a significant threat (COSEWIC 2011).

10. Direct threats

Endangered. Changes to groundwater quantity and quality are likely to harm larval habitat. The aquifer feeding the fen habitat at Minesing is threatened by changes in groundwater discharge associated with proposed housing development.

Contamination of groundwater with pesticides, fertilizer, and septic runoff and invasion of European Common Reed (Phragmites australis) are other potential threats (COSEWIC 2011).

11. Specialized life history or habitat-use characteristics

Threatened. Requires specific conditions of spring fed wetlands and presence of burrowing crayfish. Inhabits calcareous wetlands fed primarily by groundwater from intermittent seeps. Most sites also have an underlying layer of shallow dolomitic bedrock (COSEWIC 2011). Larvae use crayfish burrows (in Ontario Fallicambarus fodiens is the host species) during dry period in the summer and to hibernate in the winter. These wetland habitats conditions are rare in Ontario. Larvae require 3-5 years to mature.

3.3 COSSARO evaluation results

1. Criteria satisfied in each status category

Number of primary and secondary criteria met in each status category:

Endangered – [2/1]
Threatened – [3/1]
Special concern – [0/0]

Number of Ontario-specific criteria met in each status category:

Endangered – [1]
Threatened – [0]
Special concern – [0]

2. Data deficiency

No. Sufficient information is available to satisfy all but two of COSSARO's criteria.

3. Recommended status

The application of COSSARO evaluation criteria suggests that Hine’s Emerald is Endangered in Ontario.

Part 4 - Ontario status based on COSEWIC evaluation criteria

4.1 Application of cosewic criteria

Regional (Ontario) cosewic criteria assessment

Criterion A – decline in total number of mature individuals

Insufficient information. No monitoring data to assess population trends.

Criterion B – Small distribution range and decline or fluctuation

Endangered [B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)]. Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy are estimated to be 28 km². Occurs at a single Ontario location. Habitat quality (groundwater volume and quality) predicted to decline with future housing development adjacent to Minesing wetland.

Criterion C – Small and declining number of mature individuals

Insufficient information. Population size and trends are unknown.

Criterion D – Very small or restricted total population

Threatened. (D2) Single location makes the Ontario population prone to human activities or stochastic events.

Criterion E – Quantitative analysis

Insufficient information. Population Viability Analyses have not been completed in Ontario.

Rescue Effect

No. Unlikely due to limited dispersal capability, long distance to nearest US population, and scarcity of intervening habitat.

Consideration of Special Concern Status

No.

4.2 COSEWIC Evaluation results

1. Criteria satisfied in each status category

Endangered – [yes]
Threatened – [yes]
Special concern – [no]

2. Data deficiency

No.

3. Status based on COSEWIC evaluation criteria

The application of COSEWIC evaluation criteria suggests that Hine’s Emerald is Endangered in Ontario.

Part 5 - Ontario status determination

5.1 Application of COSSARO and COSEWIC criteria

COSSARO and COSEWIC criteria give the same result. Yes.

5.2 Summary of status evaluation

Hine’s Emerald is classified as Endangered in Ontario.

Hine’s Emerald is a medium-sized dragonfly with bright green eyes, a metallic green thorax with two lateral yellow stripes, and a blackish-brown abdomen. It inhabits calcareous, groundwater-fed wetlands, usually over dolomite bedrock. Larvae live for 3 to 5 years and use crayfish burrows during periods of low water and during the winter. Hine’s Emerald is a globally rare species confined to Ontario, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. It formerly occurred in Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama. In Ontario, it is found in an area covering about 28 km² in the Minesing Wetlands, west of Lake Simcoe. The species was recently discovered in Ontario in 2007 and population size and trends are unknown. Habitat quality is predicted to decline with proposed housing development that could alter the groundwater volume and quality in the wetland. Invasive Common Reed is another potential threat. The species is designated as Endangered in Ontario given its global rarity, single occurrence, and potential threats to habitat.

Information Sources

Literature cited

COSEWIC. 2011. COSEWIC status report on Hine’s Emerald (Somatochlora hineana) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 2-month Interim Status Report. Ottawa.

Environment Canada 2011. Species at Risk Public Registry, 2011. [http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm]. Accessed May, 2011.

Ministry of Natural Resources 2011. Species at Risk Website. [http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/276722.html]. Accessed May, 2011.

NatureServe 2011. NatureServe Explorer: an Online Encyclopedia of Life. [http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/]. Accessed May 27 2011.

2. Community and Aboriginal traditional knowledge sources

No sources used for this report.

3. Acknowledgements

None.

Appendix 1

Northeastern North America rank, status and decline

(NatureServe 2011)^{footnote 1[1]}

Occurs as a native species in 6 of 29 northeastern jurisdictions

Srank or equivalent information available for 6 of 6 jurisdictions = (100%)

S1, S2, SH, or SX in 6 of 6 = (100%)