common whitetail dragonfly

Description:

A common dragonfly across much of North America with the exception of high altitudes it has a striking appearance. The male's chunky white body (about 5 cm long), 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. The common whitetail can be seen hawking for mosquitoes and other small flying insects over ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers

Notes:

This looks like a female (although it could be an immature male, I'm not very good with bugs! The females seem to have a thicker/wider tail.) I have seen immature males but have not gotten a photo of them. The males have an unusual pattern of "clear" and black bands on their wings that makes the wings appear to be "notched" Only the mature adult males have the white tail for which they are named.