Common Whitetail Dragonfly (female)

Description:

Females have a brown body and a pattern of wing spots, closely resembling that of female Libellula pulchella, the Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Whitetail females can be distinguished by their smaller size, shorter bodies, and white zigzag abdominal stripes; the abdominal stripes of L. puchella are straight and yellow.

Habitat:

This dragonfly was near a city maintained retention pond in the surrounding shrubbery. There were several male Whitetails at the culvert leading to the pond.