# Prince Baskettail

*Epitheca princeps*

The name 'Baskettail' comes from the way females carry their egg mass in a rounded cluster at the end of their abdomen, resembling a small basket.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Corduliidae › Epitheca
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Lakes, large ponds, and slow-moving rivers with plentiful emergent vegetation.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; feeds on flying insects including mosquitoes, midges, and small moths.
- **Range:** Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada, Midwestern United States
- **Size:** 70-80 mm in length with a wingspan up to 100 mm
- **Lifespan:** 1-2 years (mostly as aquatic nymphs; 4-8 weeks as flying adults)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Water pollution, pesticide runoff, and loss of freshwater wetland habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These dragonflies do not bite or sting humans. Maintain a respectful distance to observe their aerial acrobatics without startling them; avoid handling as their wings are highly fragile.

## About

Epitheca princeps , the prince baskettail , is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/ca495d60-8e26-48f9-86ec-b1d39c1da0f3
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/100215
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitheca princeps
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/187365587/medium.jpg (John Rosford, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.