Publication Spotlight

Current Protections and Future Threats to Say's Spiketail Habitat in the Southeastern USA

Florida is home to more than 100 different species of dragonflies, which rely on freshwater habitats like lakes, rivers, streams, and springs. While some species can live in different habitat types, others are specialists with specific needs.

Say’s Spiketail is a threatened species of dragonfly found only in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. This species is a habitat specialist that relies on shallow seepage streams found in dry, sandy landscapes like longleaf pine forests.

Biologists modeled habitat for Say’s Spiketail to help identify important conservation areas and better understand future risks to the species. As Florida’s landscape continues to change, this research can help guide conservation efforts for this unique dragonfly and the habitats it depends on.

Flenniken, JM, Barrett MA, and Stevenson DJ. 2026. Current Protections and Future Threats to Say's Spiketail Habitat in the Southeastern USA. Ecology and Evolution 16, no. 5: e73656.

Dragonflies and damselflies are important indicators of ecological integrity and environmental quality but remain underrepresented in conservation efforts, in part due to a lack of quantitative information regarding their habitat requirements. Species distribution models (SDMs) can facilitate conservation planning by allowing researchers to estimate habitat suitability, evaluate conservation status, and quantify future threats. Using Maxent, we developed a range-wide SDM for an imperiled North American dragonfly (Zoraena sayi) to estimate the extent and distribution of potential breeding habitat. To capture the full spectrum of habitats used by Z. sayi across their multi-stage life cycle, we additionally extended the predicted area to include potential terrestrial habitat used by adults within the surrounding landscape, thereby producing a holistic model of breeding (nymph) and terrestrial (adult) habitats. We then used this combined model to quantify coverage by existing protected areas and evaluate projected impacts from urbanization. We found that of the combined model area (2731 km²), only 30% is safeguarded by existing protected areas, with 50% of the remaining unprotected habitat projected to experience impacts from urbanization by 2070. Our model represents the first comprehensive assessment of suitable habitat for Z. sayi and may be useful in guiding conservation planning aimed at effectively safeguarding suitable habitat and preserving remaining populations.