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Spiny Baskettail - Epitheca spinigera
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
The Spiny Baskettail is currently ranked S3S5 as a "potential species of concern" in Montana because it is potentially at risk of extirpation in the state, due to limited and/or declining numbers, range and/or habitat, even though it may be abundant in some areas.
General Description
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Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Spiny Baskettails are widespread across northern Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, and Quebec; and the northern United States: south to California in the west and south to Kentucky in the east. They are usually encountered at higher latitudes or at higher elevations at lower latitudes. In Montana, found in the western Middle Rockies forested region of the state. Common spring species in northwestern Montana (Miller and Gustafson 1996).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 23
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Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Marshy lakes and ponds including beaver ponds and boggy ponds as well as small streams are the habitats preferred by Spiny Baskettails. This species is tolerant of acidic conditions. Spiny Baskettails also use clearings for foraging sometimes at great distances from breeding sites. (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Wetland and Riparian
Alkaline - Saline Wetlands
Alpine Riparian and Wetland
Peatland
Riparian and Wetland Forest
Wet Meadow and Marsh
Food Habits
Larvae feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp.
Adult- This damselfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Spiny Baskettails are territorial patrolling short distances of shoreline low over open water with frequent hovering periods. They also fly over clearings looking for females. After copulation, females oviposit by tapping the water and intermittently releasing egg strings (Paulson 2009).
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Additional ReferencesLegend:
View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragonflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. New York, NY. Oxford University Press. 266 pp.
- Paulson, D.R. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 535 pp.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Spiny Baskettail"
- Additional Sources of Information Related to "Insects"
