The Cordulegastridae are a family of Odonata (dragonflies) from the suborder Anisoptera. They are commonly known as spiketails. Some vernacular names for the species of this family are biddie and flying adder. They have large, brown or black bodies with yellow markings, and narrow unpatterned wings. Their bright eyes touch at a single point, and they can be found along small, clear, woodland streams, flying slowly 30 to 70 cm above the water. When disturbed, however, they can fly very rapidly. They usually hunt high in forest vegetation, and prefer to capture prey resting on leaves or branches.
Aeshna viridis, the green hawker, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Its natural habitats are rivers, swamps, lakes, and marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss in parts of its range but in general it is not very vulnerable.
Cordulegaster helladica is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. It is endemic to Greece. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, rivers, and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Cordulegaster is a genus of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. It contains the following species:
Cordulegaster mzymtae is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. It is found in Georgia and Turkey. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Cordulegaster princeps is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. It is endemic to Morocco. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Cordulegaster sayi, commonly known as Say's spiketail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae endemic to the United States.
Cordulegaster vanbrinkae is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. It is endemic to Iran and Armenia. Its natural habitat is rivers.
Progomphus tennesseni is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is endemic to the Dominican Republic. Specimens of this species were first collected by Dr. Oliver Flint of the Smithsonian Institution near a waterfall of a tributary of the Rio Yaqui del Norte, west of Jarabaco. Daigle (1996) recognized this species from a large number of Progomphus collected, who distinguished its differences from a larger number of Progomphus serenus specimens. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. The species is named after Ken Tennessen, a well-known researcher of New World Odonata.
Trithemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as dropwings. There are over 40 species, mainly from Africa; two are endemic to Madagascar, and five can be found in Asia. They are found in a wide variety of habitats; some species being adapted to permanent streams in forests, and others being capable of breeding in temporary pools in deserts.
Cordulegaster dorsalis is a dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae.
Cordulegaster diadema, commonly known as the Apache spiketail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae. The mature adult is usually 74-88 millimeters long. It ranges from southwestern United States to Mexico and Costa Rica. The back of the head is yellow to brown with yellow to black hairs, though some have been reported with a black head with white hairs. The first proximal segment of the legs are yellow. The thorax has two lateral stripes with a yellow stripe between them.
Cordulegaster bidentata, also known as sombre goldenring or two-toothed goldenring, is a species of dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae.
Cordulegaster maculata, also known as the twin-spotted spiketail, is a dragonfly of the family Cordulegastridae. Its body length varies in size from 2.5 to 3.0 inches. It was described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1854.
Austroargiolestes isabellae is a species of Australian damselfly in the family Megapodagrionidae, commonly known as a Sydney flatwing. Endemic to the Sydney district, it inhabits streams and boggy areas.
Epitheca bimaculata, the Eurasian baskettail or two-spotted dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly. It was described by Toussaint de Charpentier in 1825 and initially placed in the genus Libellula. It is the type species of the genus Epitheca.
Cordulegaster erronea, the tiger spiketail, is a species of spiketail in the family Cordulegastridae. It is found in North America.
Cordulegaster obliqua, the arrowhead spiketail, is a species of spiketail in the dragonfly family Cordulegastridae. It is found in North America, often in clearings near small rivers and streams. The larvae can be found surviving in streams designated as intermittent, and may live up to 5 years before emerging as an adult in early summer.
Cordulegaster bilineata, the brown spiketail, is a species of spiketail in the dragonfly family Cordulegastridae. It is found in North America.
Cordulegaster diastatops, the delta-spotted spiketail, is a species of spiketail in the family of dragonflies known as Cordulegastridae. It is found in North America.
