Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)

About Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Arthropods
• Class: Insects
• Order: Dragonflies and Damselflies
• Family: Skimmers

The common whitetail or long-tailed skimmer 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. 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.

Source: Wikipedia