02 February 2019

Latest Paper on Rediscovered Spiketail

We published a paper about refinding Tiger Spiketail (Cordulegaster erronea) in the Great Lakes Lakes Entomologist (50(1-2):1-5 · January 2017) a couple years ago. I thought it would be worthwhile to note this paper given similar habitats that may be occupied by Tiger Spiketail and Gray Petaltail (T. thoreyi) that we found at Fort Custer Training Center in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

Title and Abstract.  Note: both Julie Craves and Mark O'Brien have retired from their positions posted

Individuals were initially found on July 3, 2016, and multiple individuals were found in June-July-2017.

female Tiger Spiketail posed along two-track
male Tiger Spiketail perched on sunlit branch
In 2017, I searched habitats near the two-track in order to find potential breeding site(s).   The most promising location was south of the area with a seep flowing from the hillside and forming a rivulet.  This traveled a couple hundred meters before ending in a marshy / fen area.  Further downstream is a large fen area.

close-up of seep likely to be a breeding site
flow into the swampy area