As we approach the end of August, some of the more common dragonfly species are becoming much less common. Some autumn species will soon take their places. At the moment the Common Whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia) is the species that I see most often. During a recent visit to Huntley Meadows Park, I spotted this young male Common Whitetail perched vertically on some vegetation.
How do I know that it is a young male? Females of this species have a different pattern of dark patches on their wings, as you can see in the second image below from earlier in the season, and different terminal appendages. Males start out with a darker coloration like that of their female counterparts and as they age they develop a white powdery substance on their abdomens called pruinosity. The dragonfly in the first photo is currently a bluish white and some of the markings are still showing through—eventually he will turn a bright white in color.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
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