# Epitheca

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{{Short description|Genus of dragonflies}}
{{About|the dragonfly genus|the subcellular structural component of some phytoplankton|Frustule#Thecae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Dragonfly ran-4748 Epitheca cynosura.jpg
| image_caption = [Common baskettail](/source/Epitheca_cynosura)
| taxon = Epitheca
| authority = [Burmeister](/source/Hermann_Burmeister), 1839
| synonyms = 
| type_species=''[Libellula bimaculata](/source/Epitheca_bimaculata)'' |type_species_authority= [Charpentier](/source/Toussaint_von_Charpentier), 1825
}}

'''''Epitheca''''' is a [genus](/source/genus) of [dragonflies](/source/Odonata) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Corduliidae](/source/Corduliidae). They are commonly known as '''baskettails'''. Baskettails' distinction is the specially adapted, upturned abdomen tip of the females which allows them to carry their egg masses in a small, orange-tinted globule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://education.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/baskettails|title = Baskettails}}</ref>

Some authorities spin off the North American baskettails into two new genera, ''Epicordulia'' and ''Tetragoneuria'', but this has not gained widespread acceptance and most references place them under this genus.<ref name="garrison">{{Cite book |title=Dragonfly Genera of the New World
|last1=Garrison |first1=Rosser W. |last2=von Ellenrieder |first2=Natalia |last3=Louton |first3=Jerry A.
|year=2006 |publisher=[The Johns Hopkins University Press](/source/The_Johns_Hopkins_University_Press) |isbn=0-8018-8446-2 |page=157}}</ref>

==Species==
The genus contains the following species:<ref>{{cite web|title=World Odonata List|url=http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/world-odonata-list/|publisher=[University of Puget Sound](/source/University_of_Puget_Sound)|accessdate=11 August 2010|author1=Martin Schorr |author2=Martin Lindeboom |author3=Dennis Paulson }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name!! Common name !! Distribution
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca bimaculata](/source/Epitheca_bimaculata)'' {{small|(Charpentier, 1825)}} || Eurasian baskettail|| Serbia and Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, Ukraine
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca canis](/source/Epitheca_canis)'' {{small|(McLachlan, 1886)}} || beaverpond baskettail|| Canada and northern United States. 
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca costalis](/source/Epitheca_costalis)'' {{small|(Selys, 1871)}} || slender baskettail or stripe-winged baskettail|| eastern and southern United States
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca cynosura](/source/Epitheca_cynosura)'' {{small|(Say, 1840)}}  || common baskettail||eastern and southern United States
|-
|120px ||''[Epitheca marginata](/source/Epitheca_marginata)'' {{small|(Selys, 1883)}}|| ||China, Korea, Japan
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca petechialis](/source/Epitheca_petechialis)'' {{small|(Muttkowski, 1911)}}  || dot-winged baskettail||South central United States
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca princeps](/source/Epitheca_princeps)'' {{small|Hagen, 1861}} || prince baskettail|| midwestern and eastern United States.
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca semiaquea](/source/Epitheca_semiaquea)'' {{small|(Burmeister, 1839)}}  || mantled baskettail||eastern United States.
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca sepia](/source/Epitheca_sepia)'' {{small|(Gloyd, 1933)}}  || sepia baskettail||North America
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca spinigera](/source/Epitheca_spinigera)'' {{small|(Selys, 1871)}} || spiny baskettail||northern United States and southern Canada
|-
| ||''[Epitheca spinosa](/source/Epitheca_spinosa)'' {{small|(Hagen in Selys, 1878)}}  || robust baskettail||eastern United States.
|-
|120px||''[Epitheca stella](/source/Epitheca_stella)'' {{small|(Williamson in Muttkowski, 1911)}}  || Florida baskettail|| Florida
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite web|title=North American Odonata|url=http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/north-american-odonata/|publisher=University of Puget Sound|accessdate=5 August 2010|year=2009|archive-date=11 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711213624/http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/north-american-odonata/|url-status=dead}}
* [http://bugguide.net/node/view/4056/bgpage Genus ''Epitheca'' - Baskettails], BugGuide
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/49426363712 Image of female baskettail sp. with egg mass on tip of tail] 

{{Taxonbar|from=Q232699}}

Category:Corduliidae
Category:Dragonfly genera
Category:Taxa named by Hermann Burmeister

{{Corduliidae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Epitheca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitheca) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitheca?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.