Robust Baskettail (Epitheca spinosa)

Its accepted scientific name is Epitheca spinosa, and it is an emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. ITIS lists Robust Baskettail as the English common name and the species as valid. [ITIS record](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?print_version=PRT&search_topic=TSN&search_value=593052&source=to_print)

It favors still water such as woodland ponds, swamps, and blackwater streams rather than broad, open lakes or brownwater rivers. Its North American range is centered on the Atlantic coastal plain from New Jersey toward North Carolina, with scattered records farther west. [Virginia species atlas](https://www.vararespecies.org/specie/Epitheca%20spinosa)

Look for the Robust Baskettail's unusually broad abdomen, hairy brown thorax, and small dark spots at the bases of the wings. It is easy to confuse with Common Baskettail, so body width alone is not enough for a reliable identification. [Virginia species atlas](https://www.vararespecies.org/specie/Epitheca%20spinosa)

It is mainly a spring-flying dragonfly, with records in North Carolina running from late February or early March into early May depending on location. Males patrol swamp edges and water, especially around forested ponds and blackwater habitats. [North Carolina species account](https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/odes/PDFs/14th.pdf)