Common Whitetail dragonflies are one of most widespread and frequently-seen butterflies in our area, but I find them to be uncommonly attractive. I spotted this female Common Whitetail that last week at Huntley Meadows Park, a local wetland refuge, as she perched vertically on a small branch with dried-out leaves.
As is common with many species of dragonflies (and birds), the males of this species tend to be more brightly colored than the females. Mature male Common Whitetails have white “tails” that are technically “abdomens,” while females and immature males have the more muted shades of brown that you see in this image. The sunlight helped to illuminate the abdomen and show the angled white markings there, a feature you don’t always see when a Common Whitetail in perching flat on the ground.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 