A Michigan Passport is required for entry to the park and may be purchased there. Keep in mind during hunting season to be aware of hunters in the area. Hunting is allowed from September 15 untill April 1st each year.
Somatochlora incurvata
Incurvate emerald
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Key Characteristics
The Incurvate emerald is above-average in size for the Somatochlora genus (total length about 2 inches or 6.3 cm). The face is yellowish-brown with dark, metallic greenish markings and large, green eyes. The thorax (upper body) is brown with metallic blue-green reflections and a pair of yellowish-brown elongate spots on each side. The abdomen (lower body) is black with a dull greenish sheen, with pale areas on sides of segments 2 and 3, and smaller dull yellow-brown spots on the rear portions of segments 4 to 9. The legs are black, and brownish at the base.
Habitat
This species is typically associated with small pools of spring water in sphagnum bogs. This species also has been found in patterned peatlands and northern fens. These wetlands are associated with peat or marl and contain flowing groundwater rich in calcium and magnesium carbonates. Dominant vegetation in these communities includes sedges (Carex spp.), bulrushes (Scirpus spp.), rushes (Eleocharis spp.), and shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa). Northern fens also contain calciphiles such as false asphodel (Tofielda glutinosa) and grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca) and bog plants such as leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), Labrador tea (Ledum roenlandicum), and small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos). These wetland communities are often bordered by forest such as rich conifer swamps and white cedar (Thuja occidentalis).