Plathemis lydia

Male Common Whitetail.Female.

The male above is actually a young one. He won’t get his chalky white “tail,” or abdomen, until he gets a little older. When that happens, they do stand out. Here, from the archive of summers past, are some of the males in all their obviousness:

This of course assumes that our dragonfly will make it to old age (or September). Fast and highly maneuverable, dragonflies are great predators, but they are also predated. These Northern Rough-wing Swallow fledglings (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) are being served up with a female Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) by one of their parents.