Rare Dragonfly Discovered in Missouri — First Time Ever

Here's something you don't see every day or ever. A rare dragonfly species has just been spotted and confirmed in Missouri for the first time ever.

Missouri has millions of dragonflies - what's so special about this one?

This is the Hine’s emerald dragonfly also known by the scientific name (Somatochlora hineana). The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed that this rare dragonfly has just been spotted in Bollinger County. The US Fish & Wildlife Service says this is one of the most endangered dragonflies in America. They also confirm that this rare dragonfly is now making its way across Missouri and some parts of Illinois, too.

Why is this dragonfly endangered?

The Nature Conservancy says that the habitat of the Hine's emerald dragonfly are being destroyed. That's why the Missouri Department of Conservation has it listed as a species of conservation concern. The state says the observation of this male dragonfly is "a significant milestone in the state’s conservation efforts for this federally endangered species".

Since I was born and raised in Missouri, I grew up with fireflies (we called them lightning bugs) and dragonflies. It's too easy to take for granted that sights like that will be around forever. Unless something is done to preserve the habitats of these dragonflies, they will be nothing but a memory of the past which would be tremendously sad.