Epitheca bimaculata

Epitheca bimaculata, the Eurasian baskettail^[1] or two-spotted dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly. It was described by Toussaint de Charpentier in 1825 and initially placed in the genus Libellula. It is the type species of the genus Epitheca.

Epitheca bimaculata
Male and female
Photographed in Lithuania
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Corduliidae
Genus:	Epitheca
Species:	E. bimaculata
Binomial name
Epitheca bimaculata (Charpentier, 1825)
Synonyms
Libellula bimaculata Charpentier, 1825[2]

Distribution

Its habitat ranges from Western France to Japan and eastern Siberia.^[1]

It has been found in Western Europe, but here it is "rare and seen very irregularly".^[3] It has also been found in Serbia,^[4] and Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia.^[5] Its occurrence in Hungary is "sporadic".^[6] It also is found in Ukraine.^[7]

Biology

It flies in May and June.^[7]

Former subspecies

Two subspecies were recognized, but they were synonymized in 2004:^[8]

• Epitheca bimaculata sibirica (Selys, 1887)^[9]
• Epitheca bimaculata altaica Belyshev, 1951