DETROIT, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- A federal judge has ordered federal fish and wildlife officials to protect the endangered Hine's Emerald dragonfly, found only in four Great Lakes states.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will designate areas of Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin as critical dragonfly habitat by mid-2006, the Detroit Free Press said.
The bug-eyed, metallic green flying insect is a lucky bug. The Washington-based Center for Biological Diversity says less than 6 percent of threatened species get critical habitat designations.
"Protecting habitat is the best way to achieve recovery of the Hine's Emerald dragonfly," Jeremy Emmi, director of the Michigan Nature Association, told the newspaper.
Several environmental groups, including the Michigan Nature Association, reached a settlement with the fish and wildlife service after accusing the agency of violating federal law by not protecting dragonfly breeding grounds.
