Family: Libellulidae
Length: typically 35-40
The Halloween Pennant really can't be confused with any other species. Look for wings that have a reddish tint and dark bands and spots. Other dragonflies that have spots on the wings have at least some clear (uncolored) areas of the wing, but the Halloween Pennant does not.
Some of the other characteristics are reddish stigmas, brown eyes, and a brown thorax. The abdomen is dark with lighter reddish-brown markings. In females and immature males the markings are lighter, more yellowish.
One interesting trait of all the pennants is their preference for perching at the very top of a weed, where they look like tiny flags. Very often they hold their front wings considerably higher than their back wings.
Halloween Pennants are common in West Virginia, and common across the eastern United States and as far west as South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas.
In West Virginia, look for them in meadows and fields, along lakes and ponds, and in marshy areas.
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| The thorax of of Halloween Pennants is brown. There are sometimes some lighter areas on the sides, but not on this individual. This Halloween Pennant is enjoying a Dipteran meal. |
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