Autumn Meadowhawk – iNaturalist Like other dragonflies, autumn meadowhawks prey on flying insects This wild looking dragonfly is called an autumn meadowhawk. These ornate dragonflies are on the small side, measuring up to 1.5 inches long. This species is also referred to as the yellow-legged meadowhawk, because the legs of the adults are yellow. If you look closely, […]
Common Whitetail Skimmer – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Female whitetail skimmers will release their fertilized eggs into water, mud, or vegetation This is a common whitetail skimmer dragonfly photographed near the Zealand River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. More specifically, this is a male dragonfly. How do the males differ visually from the females? Male […]
Blue-fronted Dancer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Blue-fronted dancers are a type of damselfly This wild winged creature is called a blue-fronted dancer. It is called a “dancer” because of how it flies. Notice the thin transparent wings. The blue-fronted dancer is a type of damselfly. Damselflies are smaller than dragonflies. The male blue-fronted dancers have a blue thorax […]
Halloween Pennant Dragonfly – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These dragonflies are only about 1.5 inches long! Let’s unpack this interesting name for this interesting creature. The primary body colors of orange and black make it easy to understand why it is called a “Halloween” dragonfly. The “Pennant” part of the name comes from this dragonfly perching […]
Chalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Each eye has up to 30,000 facets! I took this photo the day before my birthday in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Matt and I were camping there enjoying the beginning of summer. We had been out on a loop hike through the park when we came […]