Common Whitetail Dragonfly
45 mm in length. Brown body with (in mature males) white abdomen. Immature males such as here, have greenish/white marks on lateral areas of a brown abdomen. Brown/black bands on wings with light blue area on lower wings close to the body. Like all perchers, common whitetails often rest on objects near the water, and sometimes on the ground - this one caught my eye as it rested on a fallen tree trunk. The beautiful colours and textures of dragon and wood really caught my eye.
The Common Whitetail is a common dragonfly across much of North America, with a striking and unusual appearance. The male's chunky white body, combined with the brownish-black bands on its otherwise translucent wings, give it a checkered look. Females have a brown body and a different pattern of wing spots, closely resembling that of female "Libellula pulchella", the Twelve-spotted Skimmer.
