Widow Skimmer

Description:

This is a large, showy dragonfly approximately 1 3/4 inches or 45 mm in length. The thorax and abdomen of the females and juvenile males are brown with a prominent yellow stripe extending from the top of the thorax and separating into lateral yellow stripes on the sides of the abdomen. The wings of the female are clear with black wingtips and larger black patches at the base of the wing. The abdomen and the thorax of the adult male becomes white or pruinose with age. Both the forewings and hindwings have a broad, black basal band with an adjacent white band through the center of the wing. This is the only dragonfly with this color pattern on the wings. Both sexes have black stigmas, a narrow cell near the wingtip. Juvenile males have the same body coloration as females, but the wings are as described for the adult male.

Habitat:

Meadow area of Miller Springs Park.