Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys (Tiger Spiketail) has been included on the list of Michigan Odonata based on one specimen collected in 1934.  In 2016, the species was found in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.  It is the least abundant Cordulegaster species in Michigan, and the habitat requirements in Michigan are compared with known C. erronea habitats in Ohio and New Jerse

Craves, Julie A.

O\u27Brien, Darrin S.

O\u27Brien, Mark F.

English

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 50 Numbers 1 & 2 -- Spring/Summer 2017 Numbers 1 & 2 -- Spring/Summer 2017 Article 1 September 2017 Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Sels (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae) Mark F. O'Brien University of Michigan, mfobrien@umich.edu Darrin S. O'Brien Prairie Oaks Ecological Station Julie A. Craves University of Michigan-Dearborn Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation O'Brien, Mark F.; O'Brien, Darrin S.; and Craves, Julie A. 2017. "Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Sels (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 50 (1) Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol50/iss1/1 This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 2017 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 1Cordulegaster (Leach, 1815) is a Hol-arctic genus of medium to large (~55 to 88 mm total length) dragonflies of 34 species worldwide (Schorr and Paulson 2017). The common name in North America for the fam-ily, spiketails, refers to the female ovipositor, which is elongated, heavily sclerotized, and looks much like a spike. The typical ovipo-sition behavior is for the female to fly with vertical downward thrusts, inserting the ovi-positor into the substrate at the edge of the stream. This behavior has been described as “pogoing,” as in one traveling vertically and laterally with a pogo-stick. Each downward thrust into the substrate apparently results in an oviposition.Nymphs typically inhabit first and sec-ond order woodland streams with soft sub-strates. Nymphs partially bury themselves in the substrate and are well-camouflaged (Dunkle 2000, Glotzhober 2006). Various studies have indicated that nymphs of dif-ferent Cordulegaster species have distinct stream flow, substrate composition, and sediment particle size requirements (Hager et al. 2012 and references within).Ten species of Cordulegaster are found in North America (Paulson and Dunkle 2016), with five confirmed for Michigan: C. bilineata (Carle), C. diastatops (Selys), C. erronea Hagen in Selys, C. maculata Selys, and C. obliqua (Say). Of these five, C. maculata is by far the most common and widely distributed species within the state of Michigan (Kormondy 1958, MOS 2017).Cordulegaster erronea is found pre-dominantly in the eastern United States; most of the records are from the Appalachian Mountain and mid-Atlantic regions (Abbott 2006-2017). In the Great Lakes area, this species has been reported most frequently in Ohio, where it has been recorded in 14 counties (ten with voucher records, OHC 2017; four with photo or observation records, Rosche et al. 2008) and is listed as a species of special concern (ODNR 2016). Vouchers exist for one county in Illinois (ISM 2006, INHS 2017). It is considered endangered in Indiana (IGA 2014), with one voucher from 1947 (Curry 2001). C. erronea has been found at only one site in Ontario, discovered in 2011 (OMNR 2016), and it has not been recorded in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Odonata Survey, 2017).Spiketails are never “easy” to find, with the exception of C. maculata. As of January 2017, the Michigan Odonata Sur-vey Database (MOS 2007-2017) has adult records for 191 C. maculata, 32 C. obliqua, 9 C. bilineata, 29 C. diastatops, and 3 C. erronea. Nymph and exuviae records are relatively numerous (245+) for C. maculata, with only five for C. obliqua. Much of the nymph data for C. maculata has been the result of incidental bycatch during ichthy-ological research. Cordulegaster maculata has been found in third-order streams, and hence, found in more samples. The other species appear to have preference for small creeks and seepage runs that are much more difficult to find and sample for nymphs.In Michigan, C. erronea Hagen has been an enigmatic species. Kormondy (1958) listed a C. erronea record for Marquette County. However, it was based upon An-drews (1929), who listed “possible” species Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)Mark F. O’Brien1*, Darrin S. O’Brien2, and Julie A. Craves31Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.2Prairie Oaks Ecological Station, 2200 Centennial Lane, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.3Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128.AbstractCordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys (Tiger Spiketail) has been included on the list of Michigan Odonata based on one specimen collected in 1934. In 2016, the species was found in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It is the least abundant Cordulegaster species in Michigan, and the habitat requirements in Michigan are compared with known C. erronea habitats in Ohio and New Jersey.*Corresponding author: (e-mail: mfobrien@umich.edu).1O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in MichiganPublished by ValpoScholar, 20172 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 50, Nos. 1–2to be found in the Huron Mountains. That record was refuted in O’Brien et al. (2003). The only other record for the state (Fig.1) was a female collected by Leonora Gloyd on 27 July 1934 from “Rhead’s Creek inlet, to Silver Lake,” Oceana County, in west-central Michigan, within 3 km of Lake Michigan (MOS001630). Given the source (Van Brink and Kiauta 1977), the veracity of the record was never in doubt but was thought to be Figure 1. Cordulegaster erronea, female specimen collected in 1934.Figure 2. Cordulegaster erronea male from Fort Custer Training Center, 3 July 2016.2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 50, No. 1 [2017], Art. 1https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol50/iss1/12017 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 3anomalous, given that it was far off the known range of the species. Prior to 2016, the nearest records to the Oceana County site were >350 km away (Abbott 2006-2017). Based on this single verified record, it is list-ed as a species of special concern in Michigan (MNFI 2007).On 3 July 2016, MFO and DSO were searching for Tachopteryx thoreyi (Hagen), Gray Petaltail, at the Fort Custer Training Center, a military base in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties in southwest Michigan. Mid-morning searches were conducted along a two-track adjacent to numerous seepage areas and small creeks in the Kalamazoo County portion of the base. Several attempts were made to secure spiketails, but they were too high up on branches. Farther down the road, another spiketail was observed hunting in low vegetation in a small clear-ing above a seepage area. The first netted specimen was a male C. erronea 50 m down the roadside (Fig. 2). Based upon the vivid yellow markings, we assume the previously sighted individuals were also C. erronea. A few meters farther down the road a second male was captured while it was perched on a small dead shrub ~1 m above the ground. At least two more C. erronea individuals were seen. Later, a female C. erronea (Fig. 3) was captured, photographed, and released on the hillside above the seeps. According to Dunkle (2000), adults perching on twigs out of reach fits well with our observations.The habitat of the area surrounding the collection sites was Dry-Mesic Southern Forest above the sandy two-track, with Southern Hardwood Swamp at the base of the hill. Seeps are numerous, and the resulting streams flow into a Southern Wet meadow (Cohen et al. 2009). Paulson (2011) described the habitat for C. erronea as “small forest streams and seeps, with skunk cab-bage and interrupted fern.” In New Jersey, Barlow (1995) reported that this species was found only in very small (<0.3 m wide), forested, perennial cold-water streams free of substantial organic debris with a substrate of fine sand. Glotzhober (2006) studied the life history of C. erronea in Ohio, and dense-ly wooded narrow and shallow first-order streams appear to be the preferred nymphal habitat. Of interest is the contrast of these habitats with southern Michigan, where hills are glacial till or old lake dunes, and not bedrock uplands like those in Ohio and New Jersey. Consequently, the flow into Michigan seeps tends to be less consistent, and may be a limiting factor in maintaining populations of seep-inhabiting species.Groundwater seepages in the area where we found C. erronea need further exploration to determine the actual nymph Figure 3. Cordulegaster erronea female from Fort Custer Training Center, 3 July 2016 (released after photo).3O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in MichiganPublished by ValpoScholar, 20174 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 50, Nos. 1–2habitat at Fort Custer. Of concern is the potential effect of any clearing of forest from headwaters where the females oviposit and the subsequent nymphal habitat.The comprehensive study of C. erronea in New Jersey by Moscowitz (2016) provides a great deal of information on the ecology and behavior of this species, which will be useful in searching for additional populations in Michigan and elsewhere.Voucher specimens reside in the Museum of Zoology, University of Michi-gan. The 2016 specimen data is as follows: MICHIGAN: Kalamazoo Co., Fort Custer Reserve Training Center, S of Mott Road, along 2-track at wood’s edge. 42.2938 x -85.32623, JULY 3, 2016. Mark F. O’Brien, coll. MFO-160703-1, MOS0036933; MICHI-GAN: Kalamazoo Co., Fort Custer Reserve Training Center, S of Mott Road, 42.2936 x -85.3264, JULY 3, 2016, Darrin O’Brien, JAC-16-041, MOS0036997.AcknowledgmentsWe thank Ray Adams for his help in allowing us access to the natural areas at Fort Custer Training Center, and for encouraging us to examine the habitats for interesting Odonata.Literature CitedAbbott, J. C. 2006-2017. Odonata Central: An online resource for the distribution and identi-fication of Odonata. Available at <http://www.odonatacentral.org>. Accessed 16 November 2016.Andrews, A. W. 1929. List of some of the insects. Pp. 116-152 in Christy, B. H., editor. The Book of Huron Mountain. Huron Mountain Club, 216 pp.Barlow, A. E. 1995. On the status of Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys, 1878 in the state of New Jersey. Argia 7(4):6-9.Cohen, J. G., R. P. O’Connor, B. J. Barton, D. L. Cuthrell, P. J. Higman, and H. D. Enaander. 2009. Fort Custer Vegetation and Natural Features Survey 2007-2008 Report. Michigan Natural Features Survey. Report No. 2009-04. 73 pp.Curry, J. R. 2001. Dragonflies of Indiana. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis.Dunkle, S. W. 2000. Dragonflies through binocu-lars. Oxford University Press, New York.Glotzhober, R. 2006. Life history studies of Cord-ulegaster erronea Hagen (Odonata: Cordulega-stridae) in the laboratory and the field. Bulletin of American Odonatology 10: 1-18.Hager, B. J., N. J. Kalantari, and V. A. Scholten. 2012. The distribution of Cordulegaster (Odo-nata: Cordulegastridae) nymphs in seeps and springs of Nelson Swamp (Madison County, NY). Northeastern Naturalist 19:67-76.(IGA) Indiana General Assembly. 2014. Roster of Indiana animals, insects, and plants that are extirpated, endangered, threatened, or rare (also described as special concern). Natural Resources Commission Information Bulletin #2 (sixth amendment), February 1, 2014. Indiana Register, Indianapolis. Available at http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/20140129-IR-312140023NRA.xml.html. Accessed 16 January 2017.(INHS) Illinois Natural History Survey. 2017. Collections data. Online database. Available at http://biocoll.inhs.illinois.edu/portal/collections/index.php>. Accessed on 16 January 2017.(ISM) Illinois State Museum. 2006. ISM Online Illinois Dragonfly and Damselfly Collection. Available at <http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/zoology/odonata/display.html?FIPS_CO=183&Genus=Cordulegaster&Species=er-ronea. Accessed 12 January 2017.Kormondy, E. J. 1958. Catalogue of the Odonata of Michigan. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. 104: 1-43.(MNFI) Michigan Natural Features Inventory. 2007. Rare Species Explorer (Web Applica-tion). Available at < https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/explorer/species.cfm?id=12063. Accessed 16 January 2017.Moscowitz, D. P. 2016. The life history, behav-ior and conservation of the Tiger Spiketail dragonfly (Cordulegaster erronea Hagen) in New Jersey. Ph. D. Thesis, 128 pp. Available at <https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rut-gers-lib/49268/>.(MOS) Michigan Odonata Survey. 2007–2017. Michigan Odonata Survey online database. Uni-versity of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Insect Division, Ann Arbor. Available at <http://fms02.lsa.umich.edu/fmi/webd/#ummz_insects_mos>. Accessed 12 January 2017.(MOS) Michigan Odonata Survey. 2017. Michigan Odonata Survey. University of Michigan Mu-seum of Zoology, Insect Division, Ann Arbor. < http://michodonata.org>.O’Brien, M. F., E. Bright, and M. A. Kielb. 2003. The Odonata of the Huron Mountains, Mar-quette Co., Michigan. Bulletin of American Odonatology. 7(1):1-22.(ODNR) Ohio Dept. Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. 2016. Ohio’s Listed Species. Publi-cation 5356, updated March 2016. 10 pp.(OHC) Ohio History Connection. 2017. Online collections catalog: Museum Collections. Available from <http://www.ohiohistory.org/collections--archives/online-collections-catalog> Accessed 13 January 2017.4The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 50, No. 1 [2017], Art. 1https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol50/iss1/12017 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 5(OMNR). Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2016. Ontario Dragonflies and Damselflies. Ver-sion 2016-8-26. Available at < http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/sites/MNR-PublicDocs/EN/Provincial-Services/Ontario_Damselflies_and_Dragonflies.xlsx>. Accessed 15 January 2017.Paulson, D. 2011. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.Paulson, D. R., and S. W. Dunkle. 2016. A Check-list of North American Odonata, Including English Name, Etymology, Type Locality, and Distribution, 2016 Edition. Dragonfly Society of the Americas. Available at <http://www.odona-tacentral.org/docs/NA_Odonata_Checklist.pdf>. Accessed 16 Jan 2017.Rosche, L. O., J. M. Semroc, and L. K. Gilbert. 2008. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio, 2nd Edition. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland.Schorr, M., and D. Paulson. 2017. World Odonata List. Slater Museum of Natural History, Uni-versity of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA. Available at <http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversi-ty-resources/dragonflies/world-odonata-list2/>. Accessed 16 Jan 2017.Van Brink, J. M. and B. Kiauta. 1977. To. Mrs. Leonora K. Gloyd on her 75th birthday. Odona-tologica 6:143-149.Wisconsin Odonata Survey, 2017. http://wiatri.net/inventory/odonata/SpeciesAccounts/5O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in MichiganPublished by ValpoScholar, 2017

\u3ci\u3eCordulegaster erronea \u3c/i\u3e Hagen in Sels (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 50 
Numbers 1 & 2 -- Spring/Summer 2017 
Numbers 1 & 2 -- Spring/Summer 2017 
Article 1 
September 2017 
Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Sels (Tiger Spiketail) 
Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae) 
Mark F. O'Brien 
University of Michigan, mfobrien@umich.edu 
Darrin S. O'Brien 
Prairie Oaks Ecological Station 
Julie A. Craves 
University of Michigan-Dearborn 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle 
 Part of the Entomology Commons 
Recommended Citation 
O'Brien, Mark F.; O'Brien, Darrin S.; and Craves, Julie A. 2017. "Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Sels (Tiger 
Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 50 
(1) 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol50/iss1/1 
This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. 
For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 
2017 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 1
Cordulegaster (Leach, 1815) is a Hol-
arctic genus of medium to large (~55 to 88 
mm total length) dragonflies of 34 species 
worldwide (Schorr and Paulson 2017). The 
common name in North America for the fam-
ily, spiketails, refers to the female ovipositor, 
which is elongated, heavily sclerotized, and 
looks much like a spike. The typical ovipo-
sition behavior is for the female to fly with 
vertical downward thrusts, inserting the ovi-
positor into the substrate at the edge of the 
stream. This behavior has been described as 
“pogoing,” as in one traveling vertically and 
laterally with a pogo-stick. Each downward 
thrust into the substrate apparently results 
in an oviposition.
Nymphs typically inhabit first and sec-
ond order woodland streams with soft sub-
strates. Nymphs partially bury themselves 
in the substrate and are well-camouflaged 
(Dunkle 2000, Glotzhober 2006). Various 
studies have indicated that nymphs of dif-
ferent Cordulegaster species have distinct 
stream flow, substrate composition, and 
sediment particle size requirements (Hager 
et al. 2012 and references within).
Ten species of Cordulegaster are found 
in North America (Paulson and Dunkle 
2016), with five confirmed for Michigan: 
C. bilineata (Carle), C. diastatops (Selys), 
C. erronea Hagen in Selys, C. maculata 
Selys, and C. obliqua (Say). Of these five, 
C. maculata is by far the most common and 
widely distributed species within the state 
of Michigan (Kormondy 1958, MOS 2017).
Cordulegaster erronea is found pre-
dominantly in the eastern United States; 
most of the records are from the Appalachian 
Mountain and mid-Atlantic regions (Abbott 
2006-2017). In the Great Lakes area, this 
species has been reported most frequently 
in Ohio, where it has been recorded in 14 
counties (ten with voucher records, OHC 
2017; four with photo or observation records, 
Rosche et al. 2008) and is listed as a species 
of special concern (ODNR 2016). Vouchers 
exist for one county in Illinois (ISM 2006, 
INHS 2017). It is considered endangered in 
Indiana (IGA 2014), with one voucher from 
1947 (Curry 2001). C. erronea has been 
found at only one site in Ontario, discovered 
in 2011 (OMNR 2016), and it has not been 
recorded in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Odonata 
Survey, 2017).
Spiketails are never “easy” to find, 
with the exception of C. maculata. As of 
January 2017, the Michigan Odonata Sur-
vey Database (MOS 2007-2017) has adult 
records for 191 C. maculata, 32 C. obliqua, 
9 C. bilineata, 29 C. diastatops, and 3 C. 
erronea. Nymph and exuviae records are 
relatively numerous (245+) for C. maculata, 
with only five for C. obliqua. Much of the 
nymph data for C. maculata has been the 
result of incidental bycatch during ichthy-
ological research. Cordulegaster maculata 
has been found in third-order streams, and 
hence, found in more samples. The other 
species appear to have preference for small 
creeks and seepage runs that are much more 
difficult to find and sample for nymphs.
In Michigan, C. erronea Hagen has 
been an enigmatic species. Kormondy (1958) 
listed a C. erronea record for Marquette 
County. However, it was based upon An-
drews (1929), who listed “possible” species 
Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in 
Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)
Mark F. O’Brien1*, Darrin S. O’Brien2, and Julie A. Craves3
1Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
2Prairie Oaks Ecological Station, 2200 Centennial Lane, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.
3Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128.
Abstract
Cordulegaster erronea Hagen in Selys (Tiger Spiketail) has been included on the list 
of Michigan Odonata based on one specimen collected in 1934. In 2016, the species was 
found in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It is the least abundant Cordulegaster species in 
Michigan, and the habitat requirements in Michigan are compared with known C. erronea 
habitats in Ohio and New Jersey.
*Corresponding author: (e-mail: mfobrien@umich.
edu).
1
O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in Michigan
Published by ValpoScholar, 2017
2 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 50, Nos. 1–2
to be found in the Huron Mountains. That 
record was refuted in O’Brien et al. (2003). 
The only other record for the state (Fig.1) 
was a female collected by Leonora Gloyd on 
27 July 1934 from “Rhead’s Creek inlet, to 
Silver Lake,” Oceana County, in west-central 
Michigan, within 3 km of Lake Michigan 
(MOS001630). Given the source (Van Brink 
and Kiauta 1977), the veracity of the record 
was never in doubt but was thought to be 
Figure 1. Cordulegaster erronea, female specimen collected in 1934.
Figure 2. Cordulegaster erronea male from Fort Custer Training Center, 3 July 2016.
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 50, No. 1 [2017], Art. 1
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol50/iss1/1
2017 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 3
anomalous, given that it was far off the 
known range of the species. Prior to 2016, 
the nearest records to the Oceana County 
site were >350 km away (Abbott 2006-2017). 
Based on this single verified record, it is list-
ed as a species of special concern in Michigan 
(MNFI 2007).
On 3 July 2016, MFO and DSO were 
searching for Tachopteryx thoreyi (Hagen), 
Gray Petaltail, at the Fort Custer Training 
Center, a military base in Kalamazoo and 
Calhoun counties in southwest Michigan. 
Mid-morning searches were conducted along 
a two-track adjacent to numerous seepage 
areas and small creeks in the Kalamazoo 
County portion of the base. Several attempts 
were made to secure spiketails, but they 
were too high up on branches. Farther down 
the road, another spiketail was observed 
hunting in low vegetation in a small clear-
ing above a seepage area. The first netted 
specimen was a male C. erronea 50 m down 
the roadside (Fig. 2). Based upon the vivid 
yellow markings, we assume the previously 
sighted individuals were also C. erronea. A 
few meters farther down the road a second 
male was captured while it was perched on a 
small dead shrub ~1 m above the ground. At 
least two more C. erronea individuals were 
seen. Later, a female C. erronea (Fig. 3) was 
captured, photographed, and released on the 
hillside above the seeps. According to Dunkle 
(2000), adults perching on twigs out of reach 
fits well with our observations.
The habitat of the area surrounding 
the collection sites was Dry-Mesic Southern 
Forest above the sandy two-track, with 
Southern Hardwood Swamp at the base 
of the hill. Seeps are numerous, and the 
resulting streams flow into a Southern Wet 
meadow (Cohen et al. 2009). Paulson (2011) 
described the habitat for C. erronea as “small 
forest streams and seeps, with skunk cab-
bage and interrupted fern.” In New Jersey, 
Barlow (1995) reported that this species 
was found only in very small (<0.3 m wide), 
forested, perennial cold-water streams free 
of substantial organic debris with a substrate 
of fine sand. Glotzhober (2006) studied the 
life history of C. erronea in Ohio, and dense-
ly wooded narrow and shallow first-order 
streams appear to be the preferred nymphal 
habitat. Of interest is the contrast of these 
habitats with southern Michigan, where hills 
are glacial till or old lake dunes, and not 
bedrock uplands like those in Ohio and New 
Jersey. Consequently, the flow into Michigan 
seeps tends to be less consistent, and may be 
a limiting factor in maintaining populations 
of seep-inhabiting species.
Groundwater seepages in the area 
where we found C. erronea need further 
exploration to determine the actual nymph 
Figure 3. Cordulegaster erronea female from Fort Custer Training Center, 3 July 2016 (released after 
photo).
3
O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in Michigan
Published by ValpoScholar, 2017
4 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 50, Nos. 1–2
habitat at Fort Custer. Of concern is the 
potential effect of any clearing of forest from 
headwaters where the females oviposit and 
the subsequent nymphal habitat.
The comprehensive study of C. erronea 
in New Jersey by Moscowitz (2016) provides 
a great deal of information on the ecology and 
behavior of this species, which will be useful 
in searching for additional populations in 
Michigan and elsewhere.
Voucher specimens reside in the 
Museum of Zoology, University of Michi-
gan. The 2016 specimen data is as follows: 
MICHIGAN: Kalamazoo Co., Fort Custer 
Reserve Training Center, S of Mott Road, 
along 2-track at wood’s edge. 42.2938 x 
-85.32623, JULY 3, 2016. Mark F. O’Brien, 
coll. MFO-160703-1, MOS0036933; MICHI-
GAN: Kalamazoo Co., Fort Custer Reserve 
Training Center, S of Mott Road, 42.2936 
x -85.3264, JULY 3, 2016, Darrin O’Brien, 
JAC-16-041, MOS0036997.
Acknowledgments
We thank Ray Adams for his help 
in allowing us access to the natural areas 
at Fort Custer Training Center, and for 
encouraging us to examine the habitats for 
interesting Odonata.
Literature Cited
Abbott, J. C. 2006-2017. Odonata Central: An 
online resource for the distribution and identi-
fication of Odonata. Available at <http://www.
odonatacentral.org>. Accessed 16 November 
2016.
Andrews, A. W. 1929. List of some of the insects. 
Pp. 116-152 in Christy, B. H., editor. The Book 
of Huron Mountain. Huron Mountain Club, 
216 pp.
Barlow, A. E. 1995. On the status of Cordulegaster 
erronea Hagen in Selys, 1878 in the state of New 
Jersey. Argia 7(4):6-9.
Cohen, J. G., R. P. O’Connor, B. J. Barton, D. L. 
Cuthrell, P. J. Higman, and H. D. Enaander. 
2009. Fort Custer Vegetation and Natural 
Features Survey 2007-2008 Report. Michigan 
Natural Features Survey. Report No. 2009-04. 
73 pp.
Curry, J. R. 2001. Dragonflies of Indiana. Indiana 
Academy of Science, Indianapolis.
Dunkle, S. W. 2000. Dragonflies through binocu-
lars. Oxford University Press, New York.
Glotzhober, R. 2006. Life history studies of Cord-
ulegaster erronea Hagen (Odonata: Cordulega-
stridae) in the laboratory and the field. Bulletin 
of American Odonatology 10: 1-18.
Hager, B. J., N. J. Kalantari, and V. A. Scholten. 
2012. The distribution of Cordulegaster (Odo-
nata: Cordulegastridae) nymphs in seeps and 
springs of Nelson Swamp (Madison County, 
NY). Northeastern Naturalist 19:67-76.
(IGA) Indiana General Assembly. 2014. Roster of 
Indiana animals, insects, and plants that are 
extirpated, endangered, threatened, or rare 
(also described as special concern). Natural 
Resources Commission Information Bulletin 
#2 (sixth amendment), February 1, 2014. 
Indiana Register, Indianapolis. Available at 
http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/20140129-
IR-312140023NRA.xml.html. Accessed 16 
January 2017.
(INHS) Illinois Natural History Survey. 2017. 
Collections data. Online database. Available at 
http://biocoll.inhs.illinois.edu/portal/collections/
index.php>. Accessed on 16 January 2017.
(ISM) Illinois State Museum. 2006. ISM Online 
Illinois Dragonfly and Damselfly Collection. 
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5
O'Brien et al.: Tiger Spiketail Rediscovered in Michigan
Published by ValpoScholar, 2017


https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1220&amp;context=tgle

\u3ci\u3eCordulegaster erronea \u3c/i\u3e Hagen in Sels (Tiger Spiketail) Rediscovered in Michigan (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)

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