Epitheca spinosa

(Hagen, 1878)

robust baskettail

Epitheca spinosa, the robust baskettail, is a of emerald in the Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN with a stable and no immediate threats to survival. Like other baskettails, it belongs to the 'emerald' group characterized by brilliant green in .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Epitheca spinosa: //ˌɛ.pɪˈθɛ.kə spɪˈnoʊ.sə//

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Identification

Baskettails are rather generic, non-descript that can be mistaken for the more abundant 'skimmer' dragonflies in the Libellulidae. Both baskettails and other emeralds have brilliant green as . Baskettails tend to have a longer, narrower than skimmers.

Distribution

North America

Seasonality

Baskettails tend to fly in spring and early summer.

Life Cycle

Female baskettails practice exophytic oviposition, meaning they do not land and insert singly into aquatic vegetation, bottom sediments, or mud. Instead, they drag the through the water as they fly, trailing a rope of eggs behind them. The eggs are suspended in a gelatinous fluid that expands in the water. Prior to laying, females put all their eggs in the 'basket' of the subgenital plate. In , the tip of the egg-laden abdomen is held aloft in a distinctive posture. They favor tangles of floating and emergent plant stems as locations for their strings of eggs, which may be several feet long.

Similar Taxa

More Details

Conservation Status

IUCN Least Concern () with stable and no immediate threats to survival.

Sources and further reading