Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps)

The Prince Baskettail, Epitheca princeps, is a large dragonfly with a dark body marked with patterns of coloration on the abdomen and thorax. Adults also feature distinctive dark markings on their wings, which help identify them in flight.

Epitheca princeps is a North American dragonfly associated mainly with lakes, ponds, and slow sections of rivers. Its aquatic larvae develop in these still or slow-moving waters before emerging as aerial predators.

The Prince Baskettail belongs to the family Corduliidae, commonly known as the emeralds or baskettails. This family includes dragonflies typically associated with standing or slow-moving waters across the Northern Hemisphere.

The Prince Baskettail is generally active during the spring and summer months across its North American range. Adults can be seen patrolling over lakes and ponds in a distinctive cruising flight pattern characteristic of the baskettail dragonflies.