Description
An uncommon and elusive large, ringed Spiketail primarily inhabiting tiny forest streams in the Appalachian mountains of eastern North America.
Male: Eyes bright green; face yellow, heavily patterned with black. Thorax blackish with bright yellow stripes, two in front and two on each side. Abdomen black, with yellow rings at base of S1–8.
Female: Colored like male, with thicker abdomen and subgenital plate extended beyond tip.
Natural History
Males patrol up and down streams through much of day, interrupting flights with frequent hovering and changing direction, often within a few inches of the water. Males that meet in flight fly off into forest. Oviposits in tiny streams for up to several minutes, tapping water almost twice a second, rising to one body length and dropping again. May lay 350 eggs or more at one spot. The bouncing motion apparently attracts males, which will not attempt mating with a stationary female.
Habitat
Small forest streams and seeps, often with skunk cabbage and interrupted fern.
Identification
No other American Spiketail is obviously ringed, except Say’s, which is smaller, tinged with brown on thorax, has narrow yellow rings between the broad ones, and occurs on the coastal plain farther south. Few other brilliantly ringed dragonflies in range, but note Zebra Clubtail is black with yellow-ringed abdomen. Males of that species have a conspicuously clubbed abdomen, females yellow spots along sides of abdomen, and they often perch horizontally whereas Tiger Spiketails usually perch hanging down at an angle from stems or twigs.
Sources
- Paulson, Dennis R. (2011) Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East
