100 Species #64: Common whitetail

[urbpan]

This female common whitetail Plathemis lydia was resting on the fence of our little yard.

There is a swampy area a few hundred feet from our house, and Turtle Pond and Stony Brook are not far down the road. Still we were surprised--but gratified--to see dragonflies hunting in the yard. Dragonflies are active predators, catching other insects in flight. Male common whitetails have fat bluish-white abdomens, but as when this animal was 100 urban species #32, I have photographed the less distinctive female. Spots on the wings caused me to misidentify it as a 12 spotted skimmer, despite having seen the species before.