E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Large black-and-yellow dragonflies with eyes meeting at a single point on top of the head. Spiketails live along streams where the males patrol steadily up and down for long distances. The English name comes from the female’s long, spike-like ovipositor, used for placing eggs in streambeds. The large, squat, hairy larvae bury themselves in the sediment to await their prey.

One of our largest dragonflies. Fairly common along small coastal woodland streams flowing from lakes; rare east of the Coast Mountains in southern B.C., and where it does occur, it flies along small warm streams, especially ones fed by springs. Egg-laying females hover vertically, moving up and down, shoving eggs into the sand and silt of the streambed. Perches vertically.