Common Whitetail - Plathemis lydia

The Common Whitetail is a distinctive dragonfly in that large family of Skimmers and allies, Libellulidae. We saw many male Whitetails on a walk around Spring Lake (Santa Rosa) on June 17th. The Common Whitetail is my favorite type of odonate, in that it usually perches on a low spot in the open, making an ideal subject for observation and photography. Not only that, but the markings on the male are so distinctive that it can't be confused with any of the other skimmer species. 

Each wing has a large black spot in the mid-to outer wing section, and a smaller black spot near the leading edge of each wing where it joins the body. Just behind the smaller black spot, on the hind wing only, there is a white triangular spot. The male Common Whitetail develops a powdery covering on the abdomen know as prunosity, appearing white or very light blue. The female of this species is quite different, appearing more like a Twelve-spotted Skimmer, and is seen less often in the open.