Almost all of the male Calico Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis elisa) that I have seen this season have been immature. How can I tell? When male Calico Pennants are young their abdomens are bright yellow, like those of the females. As they mature their abdomens turn a beautiful shade of red, like the male Calico Pennant in the image below that I captured on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
You might think that it would be easy to spot a dragonfly with such gaudy colors, but Calico Pennants are small and elusive. I usually manage to find them in the waist high vegetation in a field at the edge of a small pond at the refuge.
If you would like to compare the coloration of this male Calico Pennant with that of an immature male, check out the my posting from a couple of weeks ago entitled “Immature Calico Pennant dragonfly.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The red pterostigma are particularly fetching. Other dragonflies may have red ones, but I don’t remember seeing them.
I can’t recall any others of the top of my head that have red pterostigma–most of the time they are brown or occasionally white. The combination of the red pterostigma, the wing patterns, and the gorgeous color really make this dragonfly a standout.
Love the patterns on its body and wings. And the colour!
This dragonfly certainly has the total package when it comes to distinctive beauty. 🙂
Always impressed 👏👏👏
Thanks, Ted.
What a delight to see the details so clearly on this spectacular being, Mike. I enjoyed seeing the comparison in the immature male of the link you provided, and am in complete awe of both photos. When I have the fortune to watch a dragonfly, they usually buzz by me with such speed that I catch only a glimpse of color. This species is so small, and you’re standing in waist-high weeds,,,it makes me smile to think you captured this speck of true beauty. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Thanks, Jet. Like other pennant dragonflies, Calico Pennants like to perch on the very tips of often flimsy stalks, rather than bury themselves down in the vegetation. That makes them marginally easier to spot, though capturing a shot is challenging because the the nature of their perches is such that they sway in even the slightest breeze, hence the name “pennant.”
A real beauty, Mike, wonderfully captured.
Thanks, Ellen. I was happy that this one stayed still long enough for me to snap off a few shots.
Well spotted and captured, not an easy target but a great result.
I check back at the immature… remarkable transition. Beautiful, impressive captures. M 🙂
Nice catch, Mike. They remind me of biplanes!
With his wings down, it looks like he’s carrying a bowl of soup.
That one looks like it has been in the water so long it has rusted, and beautifully so! Stunning shot, Mike!
Thanks, Pete. A “rusted” dragonfly? Yes, that description certainly fits.
This must be one of the most colorful of them all. Such a beauty!
It definitely is hard to think of another dragonfly that has an equivalent stunning combination of colors and patterns, in this case packed into a tiny package.
I have only seen Calico Pennant once but made the most of the opportunity when there were quite a few in a meadow. They are beauties as your image makes plainly clear.
Thanks, Steve. Calico Pennnants seem to prefer a specific kind of habitat and there is only one place in my local area where I know I can find them.
excited ❤ post.
Thanks. It is a stunning dragonfly to be sure.