Arrowhead spiketail

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Cordulegaster obliqua

Type: invertebrate

Status: special_concern

Species Guide

Arrowhead spiketail

Cordulegaster obliqua

Species Type: invertebrate

Conservation Status: special_concern

IDENTIFICATION

The arrowhead spiketail is a large brown and bright yellow dragonfly 2.5 – 3 inches in length. The abdomen has a single dorsal row of yellow arrow-shaped spots. The female is similar but has a thicker abdomen and a long, conspicuous ovipositor projecting well beyond segment ten.

Distribution & Habitat

Arrowhead spiketails are a forest specialist. This species usually breeds in small, sluggish, mulch-bottomed forest streams and trickles. An abundance of skunk cabbage along streams is often an indicator of appropriate habitat. These streams may occasionally dry up, leaving only damp mud and scattered puddles. This species is currently known to have a limited range within New Jersey. It has been recorded from scattered localities in the Highlands and Ridge & Valley regions.

Diet

Nymphs feed on aquatic invertebrate; adults on flying insects.

Life Cycle

Arrowhead spiketails emerge in May and adults are active through early August. The female flies to the stream and lays her eggs in mud or other sediments.

Current Threats, Status, and Conservation

Due to the rarity of this dragonfly and its habitat, the arrowhead spiketail is a Special Concern species. Habitat destruction and ground water disturbance are two of the greatest threats facing this species.

References

Text derived from the book, Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey. 2009. By Allen E. Barlow and Jim Bangma.

Scientific Classification

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Odonata
  • Family: Cordulegastridae
  • Genus: Cordulegaster
  • Species: C. obliqua