PROVISIONAL:
Description Rather rare large ringed spiketail of tiny forest streams. 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. Identification No other 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 it often perches horizontally. Natural History Males patrol up and down streams through much of day, interrupting flights with frequent hovering and changing direction. Males that meet flight and 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.
Paulson, Dennis. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides Book 80) (pp. 316-317). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
