Family Cordulegastridae (Spiketails)

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.

Cordulegaster dorsalis (Pacific Spiketail)