29 Dragonflies That Live in the United States (2023)

What kinds of dragonflies can you find in the United States?

Dragonflies are easy to recognize by their long, slender bodies and distinctively narrow wings. They often live around water, but these adaptable creatures also inhabit other areas.

There are at least 5,000 species of dragonflies in the world! Since it would be impossible to list all of the ones in the United States in this article, I chose the most common and exciting species to share with you today. 🙂

#1. Eastern Pondhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.4-1.9 in long.
• Males are powdery blue with yellow-tipped abdomens and green faces.
• Females are bright green with dark brown or black spots on their abdomen and green faces.

These aptly named dragonflies in the United States spend their time around ponds and other still bodies of water. Here, there are fewer predators to feed on their eggs and young. They are incredibly agile, ferocious aerial predators, which is where the “hawk” moniker comes from. This species feeds on various insects and take down prey its own size.

Eastern Pondhawks often rest on vegetation between hunts and take to their air when prey passes them. They sometimes take larger insects back to their perch. They twist their long legs into a basket shape to carry their prey to hold it securely.

Dragonflies are known for their exciting flight behavior, and Eastern Pondhawks are no exception. You may spot a pair flying across the water’s surface together just an inch or two apart. Occasionally, the leader will fall back, and the other will move into the lead in a cartwheel-like motion.

While they aren’t venomous or dangerous to humans, Eastern Pondhawks can deliver a painful pinch if you grab them. They’re fascinating creatures, but it’s best to leave them alone and observe from a distance.

#2. Blue Dasher

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1-1.5 in long.
• Males are vibrant blue with yellow-striped thoraces and metallic green eyes.
• Females are less colorful and have similar striped thoraces, brown and yellow striped abdomens, and red eyes.

Blue Dashers are the most common dragonflies in the United States.

You’re most likely to find them around calm or slow-moving bodies of water, including lakes, ponds, marshes, ditches, and slow rivers and streams. They’re active during the day throughout the summer. At night, the adults rest in trees.

Blue Dashers are voracious predators capable of eating hundreds of insects each day! They have fast reflexes and incredible eyesight. Their bulging, round eyes are composed of 30,000 facets, each seeing in a different direction. Combined, they allow these dragonflies to see in nearly every direction. Their two independent sets of wings enable them to change direction quickly and to hover in place when necessary.

As adults, they predominately feed on small flying insects like mosquitoes, moths, flies, and mayflies. They can catch up to 95% of the prey they pursue, making them one of Earth’s most efficient predators. Both males and females are aggressive toward other dragonflies.

The larval dragonflies, called naiads or nymphs, remain in the water for up to two years. While in this stage, they feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles, and even tiny fish. They’re well camouflaged and often hide in aquatic vegetation until they spot prey. Adults have a much shorter lifespan than naiads and die after only a few weeks.

#3. Widow Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.7-2 in long.
• They have bulky bodies and large, prominent black bands on the base of their wings.
• Males are steel-blue and develop broad white spots on their wings.
• Females are yellow and black.

The Widow Skimmer is an easy-to-identify dragonfly in the United States. 

The distinctive dark markings on their transparent wings are hard to miss. The black patches resemble a widow’s black shawl, which explains their common name.

You’re likely to find Widow Skimmers around open bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, or slow-moving streams during the summer. They often select areas with muddy banks.

Male Widow Skimmers are incredibly territorial and will patrol their territory and away rival males. They may also perch nearby, watching for intruders. You may also spot Widow Skimmer pairs mating when a pair forms a “wheel” position in flight.

#4. Fragile Forktail

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 0.8-1.1 in long.
• Males are yellow, yellow-green, or green.
• Females are light blue, maturing to dark blue with a frosted or powdered appearance.
• Both sexes feature pale shoulder stripes that resemble exclamation marks.

Fragile Forktails are damselflies, which are similar to dragonflies in the United States.

Look for them from spring through summer and into early fall. You’re likely to find these insects around ponds, wetlands, and slow-moving streams. They often perch or forage in the shade near these areas.

Despite their small, delicate frame, Fragile Forktails are efficient predators. They predominantly feed on small flying insects and sometimes other damselflies, including those of their own species.

Fragile Forktails may have several generations per year. The males don’t guard the females, but the females excel at warding off unwanted attention. They flex their abdomen and beat their wings rapidly in a threat display.

#5. Common Whitetail

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.7 to 1.9 in long.
• Males are chalky blue with a single, broad, dark band on each wing.
• Females have brown bodies with a row of yellowish, triangular marks on each side of their abdomen and three evenly spaced dark blotches on each wing.

Common Whitetails are easy dragonflies to find in the United States.

If you spend time near ponds, marshes, and other slow-moving bodies of water, you’ll likely spot one. They zoom above the water feeding on mosquitoes and other small flying insects. Common Whitetails also spend a lot of time perching, and you may spot them resting on vegetation or occasionally even on the ground near the water’s edge.

Male Common Whitetails are surprisingly feisty and highly territorial! They guard and patrol a section of the water’s edge and warn off other males using their white abdomen in threat displays. These territories are essential because they are where a female mate will lay her eggs.

The naiads or nymphs that hatch from the eggs receive no parental care or guarding. Unfortunately, they’re an abundant and favorite good food source for fish, frogs, birds, and other aquatic insects and have up to a 99% mortality rate.

#6. Eastern Amberwing

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults grow up to 1 in long.
• Their wings are pure gold, orange, or amber, and females have brown spots.
• Both sexes have large red eyes, red pterostigmata (specialized thicker cells on the outer wing), and brown and yellow stripes on their abdomen.

These are the only dragonflies in the United States known to mimic wasps!

Eastern Amberwings have brown and yellow stripes on their abdomen that help them appear wasp-like to warn away predators. They also copy the behavior of wasps, flexing and wiggling their abdomens like the more dangerous insects.

You’ll most likely spot Eastern Amberwings on warm, sunny days near wetlands and small bodies of water. They perch near the water’s edge, occasionally darting out to feed on small flying insects that happen by.

Males protect and patrol a shoreline territory about 20 feet wide. The males look for high-quality egg-laying sites with plenty of aquatic vegetation as they need their territory to appeal to females.

Males actively court females by approaching them and swaying back and forth with their abdomens raised. If the female likes the male, she will follow him and evaluate his territory. Then he shows her ideal egg-laying sites within the territory by hovering above them with his wings whirring and abdomen raised. If she’s happy with his territory, they’ll mate. 

#7. Ebony Jewelwing

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.5-2.2 in long.
• Males have metallic blue-green bodies with black wings.
• Females have dull brown bodies, smoky wings, and white spots near the tips.

These stunning damselflies live near wooded streams and rivers. Look for Ebony Jewelwings resting on leaves and branches in sunny spots of nearby forests. They’re agile fliers, using their spiny legs to seize prey on the wing. These insects are great to have around because they feed on mosquitoes, gnats, and crane flies.

Ebony Jewelwings are adventurous damselflies. You might occasionally spot males far from water searching for new territory. In cool climates, you’ll see them through the spring, summer, and early fall, but they’re often present year-round in warmer southern climates.

Look for interesting mating behavior in territorial male Ebony Jewelwings. They attempt to attract females by performing what’s known as a “cross” display. They face the female and then turn their hindwings downward, keeping them perpendicular to the body. Then they raise their forewings and abdomen, displaying their pale underside.

#8. Autumn Meadowhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.2-1.4 in long.
• Males are bright cherry red.
• Females are yellow as young but mature to red and tan.

These dragonflies in the United States emerge later than many others.

Autumn Meadowhawks usually become active in early summer, and they’re most common during the summer and fall. You may be able to spot adults into November or until there is a hard freeze.

Look for these dragonflies near marshes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. They have a voracious appetite and are capable predators, feeding on pests like moths, mosquitoes, mayflies, flies, flying ants, and termites. They generally perch and then fly out after prey that comes close. Researchers believe that they catch 97% of the insects they pursue!

They’re a unique dragonfly species in that the males aren’t territorial. They are usually very tolerant of other males. This apparent friendliness is undoubtedly due to their unusual mating system. Autumn Meadowhawks pair up away from the water in the forest. Because of the forest’s privacy, there isn’t as much need for individual territories.

#9. Blue-fronted Dancer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.3-1.6 in long.
• Males have light blue eyes, blue thoraces, and brown abdomens with blue sides and tips.
• Females vary in color and may be blue, brown, turquoise, or grayish-black.

These damselflies in the United States are named for their elegant flight.

They’re charming to watch as they flit, flutter, and bounce through the air around ponds, streams, creeks, and rivers. You may see their attractive blue coloring better as they rest on nearby shrubs, grass, logs, and branches.

Male Blue-footed Dancers spend much more time over the water as they guard and patrol small territories. Females will only visit their territory when they’re ready to mate and instead spend their time flying over grassy areas or in forests.

Larval Blue-fronted Dancers, called naiads or nymphs, are incredible aquatic predators. They feed on worms, insects, and even small fish. Eventually, they will crawl out of the water, metamorphose into their adult phase, and repeat the reproduction cycle.

#10. Familiar Bluet

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.1-1.5 in long.
• Males are bright blue with a dark head featuring two blue tear-shaped spots on the top and black patches along the top of their bodies.
• Females have a similar pattern but are generally light brown rather than blue.

Familiar Bluets are less picky about habitat than other damselflies and dragonflies in the United States. The males of this species are generally easy to spot and are the brightest of the blue damselflies! They need water to complete their lifecycle but use any water source, including muddy puddles, lakes, bogs, marshes, salt marshes, streams, creeks, rivers, and ponds. They quickly take advantage of any new wet habitat that they find.

Despite their charming and almost delicate appearance, Familiar Bluets are formidable predators. They will feed on virtually any soft-bodied insect that crosses their path. These include small moths, mosquitoes, flies, mayflies, flying ants, and termites.

You’ll likely spot male Familiar Bluets over the water, where they spend much of their time on lengthy patrols to guard their territory. Females will visit them when they are ready to mate but spend much of their time in nearby woodlands.

#11. Variable Dancer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.1-1.3 in long.
• Males are violet with black markings, pale sides, and blue tips.
• Females have a similar pattern but are usually brown instead of violet.

As their name suggests, this species is variable in looks, and there are currently three recognized subspecies. The Violet Dancer is a northern subspecies with transparent wings, the Smoky Dancer is found in the southeast and has brownish wings, and the Black Dancer is only found in Florida and features black wings.

The second part of their name, “dancer,” refers to their bouncy, fluttering flight, which makes them appear to dance across the sky. This flight pattern is a great way to differentiate “dancers” and “bluets,” two different types of damselflies in the United States.

You will likely find Variable Dancers around heavily vegetated ponds, lakes, and streams. However, they can occasionally be spotted in other aquatic habitats like sandy lakes and rivers. They feed on tiny, flying insects, including flies, small moths, mayflies, mosquitoes, termites, and flying ants.

#12. Slaty Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.8-2.2 in long.
• Males are slaty blue to almost black with black heads and eyes.
• Females have brown abdomens and dark stripes running down their backs.
• Both sexes have had a dark spot on the tip and the leading edge of their four wings.

These shy dragonflies can be hard to spot in the United States.

Slaty Skimmers prefer ponds and other still-water habitats that are surrounded by woodlands. They spend much of their time perched in sunny spots on nearby vegetation or the woodland edge, waiting for prey to pass. Then they fly out and grab insects from midair.

Male Slaty Skimmers are aggressively territorial. They spend much of their time zooming around and chasing other males out of their section of shoreline. You may spot them looping and charging at other males. The females, on the other hand, are tougher to spot and don’t spend much time at the shoreline until they’re ready to mate.

When the eggs hatch into naiads or nymphs (baby dragonflies), they live in the muck at the bottom of ponds or streams. They live underwater, feeding on other aquatic insects until they reach maturity, crawl out of the water, and metamorphose into adults.

#13. Halloween Pennant

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults range from 1.5 to 1.65 inches in length.
• They have orange-yellow wings with dark brown bands and dark bodies with a light yellow or orange stripe down their backs.
• Adults sometimes have pale red markings on their faces.

Halloween Pennants are an easy-to-recognize dragonfly in the United States!

With their brightly colored, banded wings, it’s easy to see how they got their festive name. They’re predominantly found around vegetated bodies of water such as ponds, marshes, and lakes. You can often spot them perched on the tips of aquatic vegetation.

Halloween Pennants are powerful fliers that hunt during the day, chasing other insects through the air. They’re even able to fly during rain and strong winds. They feed primarily on smaller insects like gnats, mosquitoes, and flies but occasionally take larger prey, including other dragonflies.

Unlike most dragonflies in the United States, Halloween Pennants are not territorial. Males rest on vegetation near the water’s edge while waiting for females. They primarily mate in flight, forming a wheel shape with their bodies.

#14. Rambur’s Forktail

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.1-1.44 in long.
• Males are green with blue abdominal segments near their rear.
• Females may appear similar to males, or orange-red or olive green.

Rambur’s Forktails are damselflies that like habitats with slow-moving or still water, vegetation, and sunlight in the United States. They’re incredibly widespread, and you can find them flying around ponds, lakes, and marshes. While they never live in saltwater, they have been spotted around brackish and sulfurous waters.

Most forktails prefer to perch amongst vegetation, but Rambur’s Forktails often fly along open shorelines and perch on bare ground. They feed on soft-bodied flying insects like mosquitoes and small moths.

Unlike their adult counterparts, the larval forktails, called naiads, don’t spend time in the open. They prefer dense vegetation along shorelines. They feed on a wide range of aquatic insects and small crustaceans. When mature, the naiads crawl out of the water and shed their skins, metamorphosing into adults.

#15. Common Green Darner

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults grow up to 3 in long.
• Both sexes have unmarked green thoraces, bull’s eye marks on their faces, and clear wings that often become amber-tinted with age.
• Males have bluish-purple abdomens with a black stripe down them.
• Females may appear like males or have reddish-brown abdomens.

Green Darners are the most common dragonflies in the United States.

Named for their resemblance to darning needles, these dragonflies are nearly impossible to miss! They’re also one of the largest dragonfly species alive today.

Unlike many dragonflies, some populations of Common Green Darners migrate. Particularly in winter, they travel as far south as Panama. They’re common summertime residents of the northern US and southern Canada, and occasionally, vagrant individuals are spotted well outside their normal range. They’ve been known to show up as far away as Japan, Russia, Bermuda, France, and the UK! Researchers suspect these are individuals who were blown off course during storms.

Common Green Darner migration is complex and challenging to study. Researchers now suspect a full migration takes place over at least three generations. The first generation emerges in spring in the southern part of the range and travels north in the summer. The second generation emerges in the northern part of their range in summer and migrates south during the fall. The third generation emerges in the southern part of the range during the winter and doesn’t migrate. Then the cycle begins again with the next generation.

When researchers equipped Common Green Darners with micro radio transmitters, they found that these big dragonflies traveled about 10 miles per hour and up to 87 miles in a single day!

#16. Variegated Meadowhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.63-1.92 in long.
• Males are dark brown or black with red faces and eyes and bright red, pink, or golden brown abdomens.
• Females are similar in appearance but duller in color; gray and yellow often replace the males’ red, and they have brownish and lavender eyes.

Variegated Meadowhawks are some of the flashiest dragonflies in the United States!

You’ll likely spot this ornate species around still or slow-moving waters, including ponds, swamps, lakes, and streams. They’re agile predators that feed on soft-bodied flying insects, including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.

These insects are savvy travelers and navigators. They’re a migratory species of dragonfly that completes their migration over a few generations. They travel into the northern US and Canada and migrate as far south as Honduras and Belize. They usually appear in northern areas in the spring, and the next generation departs southward in late summer.

Variegated Meadowhawks fly low during migration and navigate visually by the sun. Researchers believe this unique approach may give them an advantage over other migratory species as climate change continues to affect weather patterns.

Despite their migratory nature, male Variegated Meadowhawks are extremely territorial. They fly low, patrolling sections of open water and occasionally perch while watching for intruders. They will chase out other male Variegated Meadowhawks and other species.

#17. Roseate Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.8-2.2 in long.
• Males are lavender to rosy-purple with metallic purple faces.
• Females are yellow to golden brown.
• Both sexes feature clear wings with brown pterostigmata (thickened cells) on the leading edge.

It’s impossible to miss this dragonfly in the United States!

These large skimmers are strong, showy fliers, and the males have a distinct, beautiful appearance. Their rosy pink color is rare among insects and even birds, making them easy to identify.

You’re most likely to spot Roseate Skimmers around water sources like ponds, marshes, ditches, and small pools of water. Here, they spend time feeding on small flying insects. They avoid water sources with abundant Neon Skimmers, another species that more aggressively defends its territory.

Male Roseate Skimmers stake out territories over water sources. They often perch on nearby twigs and vegetation and fly out to patrol the area and chase away intruders. They will aggressively defend their territory from other male Roseate Skimmers.

#18. Flame Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.93-2.4 in long.
• Males are entirely red or dark orange, including their eyes, legs, and wing veins.
• Females are medium or darker brown with some thin yellow markings.

Interestingly, the Flame Skimmer’s fiery color matches its habitat preference. These dragonflies are generally found around hot springs or warm ponds in the United States.

Flame Skimmers generally hunt from perches on twigs or rocks. When they spot prey, they fly out after it. Their diet is made up of soft-bodied insects, including mosquitoes, mayflies, butterflies, flies, moths, and termites.

Larval-stage Flame Skimmers, called naiads, hunt similarly to adults. To avoid predators, they lurk in the mud at the bottom of the water, waiting to grab prey that passes by. The naiads are highly successful hunters and eat insect larvae, freshwater shrimp, small fish, and tadpoles.

#19. Vivid Dancer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.16-1.38 in long.
• Males are bright blue or violet-blue and have black markings.
• Females may be a blue morph resembling males or a red morph with subdued red or orange coloration.

These stunning damselflies live in various habitats in the United States.

They have an extensive range due to their unusual ability to thermoregulate. They do this by moving to different sites throughout the day. At night, they settle into sheltered trees to avoid heat loss, but during the day, they move into open or thin forest areas to bask in the sun.

Vivid Dancers use bodies of water for mating, egg-laying, and their larval stage. They often choose areas with nearby woods, sedge vegetation, and rocks.

Although they’re known for their bright blue color, Vivid Dancers aren’t always blue. They may appear red, brown, or grey depending on the sex, type of morph, and temperature. In some populations, Vivid Dancers may appear noticeably brighter or lighter colored as temperatures rise above 25°C (77°F) during the day.

#20. Pacific Forktail

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 0.91-1.18 in long.
• Males are black with brilliant blue on the sides, four blue dots on top, and a blue band near the end of their abdomen.
• Females are nearly all brown or black, but some resemble males.

The Pacific Forktail is often the first damselfly in the United States to emerge in spring and the last you’ll spot in the fall. You’re most likely to find them around lowland, calm-water habitats such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, and slow streams. They are also often abundant around alkaline and saline ponds.

Despite their small size and delicate appearance, Pacific Forktails are fierce predators. Adults feed on various soft-bodied flying insects, including mosquitoes, mayflies, flies, and moths, by grabbing them out of the air. These clever damselflies will also grab aphids and other small insects from vegetation.

While females often spend much of their time away from the water, males stick closely to the shorelines. The males set up and fiercely guard territories in prime mating and egg-laying habitat. The males that hold the best territories are those that get the females.

#21. Blue-eyed Darner

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 2.6-2.8 in long.
• Males are dark brown with blue eyes, two blue stripes on top, diagonal blue stripes on the sides, and large and small blue spots on their abdomens.
• Females also have blue eyes and a similar pattern but have a brown base color and green markings.

Blue-eyed Darners are common dragonflies in the United States during summer.

They’re easy to spot around lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams, canals, and marshes. These insects tend to prefer water bodies that are surrounded by open areas rather than woodlands. Blue-eyed Darners are sometimes found around acid bogs and can also tolerate alkaline water conditions.

Unlike many dragonfly species, Blue-eyed Darners often range far from aquatic habitats when they’re not breeding. You may even spot them in city parks, yards, parking lots, and other urban areas. Blue-eyed Darners may be migratory in some areas, including California.

Blue-eyed Darners are relatively large and well-suited to hunting prey in midair. They have 360-degree vision, can fly forward or backward, and can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour. You may spot them feeding in large swarms over the water, taking flying insects like moths, mosquitoes, flies, termites, and mayflies from the air.

#22. Cardinal Meadowhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.5-1.57 in long.
• Males are almost entirely bright red with a pair of yellow spots on the upper body. They have brownish wings with red veins.
• Females are brownish-red with translucent golden-brown wings.

Cardinal Meadowhawks are named for the males’ flashy bright red coloring that’s thought to resemble a catholic cardinal’s robes. They inhabit areas around ponds and lakes. You’ll often spot the males around the shore or over the open water. In contrast, females travel farther from the water, visiting when it’s time to mate and lay eggs.

These brilliantly colored dragonflies are “perchers.” You’ll often spot them perched on a twig, plant, or other material overhanging the water, waiting for prey to pass. When an insect flies by them, a Cardinal Meadowhawk will zoom out to catch it with better than a 95% success rate.

This species’ flying skills aren’t limited to hunting. When the female returns to the water to mate, she’ll pair up with a male, and they’ll assume the “wheel” position, flying with the tip of the male’s abdomen connected with the female’s head and the female’s reproductive organ on the male’s abdomen. It may look awkward, but they can fly this way surprisingly well!

#23. Eight-spotted Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.73-2.01 in long.
• Males are brownish-black with a powder blue or white coating and two large dark spots paired with two large white spots on each of their wings, one near the base and one near the middle.
• Females are similar in color but often have yellow or orange markings along the sides of their bodies and sometimes lack white markings on the wings.

The spotted wings of these beautiful dragonflies in the United States make them easy to see in the air. Some of the females of this species have white wing spots like the males and are the only female dragonflies in North America to have them!

Eight-spotted Skimmers prefer bodies of water with weedy vegetation and muddy substrates. However, you may not have to visit these places to find them. They also visit habitats away from the water, including uplands, clearings, backyards, and parks.

Unlike many dragonflies, male Eight-spotted Skimmers don’t guard specific territories. Instead, they fly continuously through suitable shoreline habitats and are aggressive towards other male dragonflies, including those of other species. They also spend time perched near the shore on branches, twigs, or plants, offering great photo opportunities for naturalists!

#24. Striped Meadowhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.34-1.5 in long.
• Males are mostly red.
• Females are greenish-yellow to olive green.
• Both sexes have a pair of diagonal yellow stripes on each side of their bodies and clear wings that may sometimes be clouded yellow where they attach to their bodies.

Striped Meadowhawks are one of the most abundant dragonflies in the United States.

You can spot these insects around slow and stagnant streams, ponds, ditches, and marshy areas. They spend much of their time perched near the shoreline on bare rocks and branches where they bask to absorb heat during the day. Striped Meadowhawks also hunt from these perches, flying out and capturing soft-bodied insects, including flying ants, flies, small moths, mayflies, and mosquitoes.

Like many dragonflies, male Striped Meadowhawks are territorial. They guard grassy areas near the water. When it’s time to mate, a female will visit a male’s territory and pair up. When they’re finished mating, the pair will remain flying in tandem as the female deposits eggs. Spreading out the eggs helps increase their odds of survival, so a single predator can’t take them all at once.

#25. Band-winged Meadowhawk

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.1-1.4 in long.
• Males have bright red abdomens with black markings on the sides, dark red faces, and red eyes.
• Females are greenish-yellow or orange with red and green eyes and blackish markings on their abdomens.

These bright dragonflies in the United States are often easy to spot perched near ponds, marshes, bogs, and fens. They prefer water sources with a gentle flow, plenty of weedy growth, and tall grasses.

Band-winged Meadowhawks are incredibly skillful fliers that can move backward and forward, hover, and fly straight up and down. Males perch high above the water and fly out on short patrols. When they’re ready to mate, females visit these areas and pair up with a male.

The eggs hatch into the larval stage, and these naiads live under the water in areas with dense aquatic vegetation. From their hiding places in the vegetation, the naiads grab passing prey, including mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, other fly larvae, small fish, and tadpoles. The larval phase can last up to two years. When they’re mature, the naiads leave the water, crawling out to shed their skin and metamorphosing into adults.

#26. Eastern Forktail

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 0.87-1.18 in long.
• Males are green with black-striped bodies that have bright blue tips.
• Females are bluish-gray.

Eastern Forktails are some of the most common damselflies in the United States.

You’ll find them around almost any wetland, marsh, pond, or slow-moving stream within their range. They’re particularly fond of water bodies with grassy or weedy edges.

Despite their small size, Eastern Forktails are aggressive predators that feed on other flying insects. They will chase competitors away and occasionally even prey on other damselflies as large as themselves! Surprisingly, this aggressive behavior is more common in females.

Male Eastern Forktails spend most of their time around ideal breeding sites, perching in and patrolling areas with dense vegetation. Females are also common around the water’s edge. The females are monogamous and mate just once in their life. Despite this, they’re still incredibly productive and can lay thousands of eggs!

#27. Chalk-fronted Corporal

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.6-1.8 in long.
• Males are black with pale shoulder bars and clear wings.
• Females are dark brown with light gray on the front of their abdomens and clear wings.

Chalk-fronted Corporals like slow-moving water with plenty of emergent vegetation for mating and egg laying. You’ll commonly spot them around ponds, swamps, marshes, lakes, and bogs. When they’re not mating, they fly in sunny patches of nearby forests.

These dragonflies in the United States often perch horizontally on the shoreline or floating objects in the water. From their perches, they hunt, flying upward to grab various soft-bodied flying insects, including mosquitoes, mayflies, flies, moths, butterflies, and flying ants. If you’re on or near the water, it’s not uncommon to have these dragonflies swooping around you. Don’t worry! They’re just grabbing the mosquitoes that you’ve attracted.

Male Chalk-fronted Corporals are aggressive and territorial. They spend long periods patrolling low and fast over sections of water, with brief periods of hovering before perching.

Larval dragonflies, called nymphs or naiads, live in decaying vegetation at the bottom of the water. They feed on insect larvae and freshwater shrimp. When they mature, they emerge from the water at night, shed their skin and metamorphose into adults. 

#28. Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 2-2.2 in long.
• Males are brownish with twelve black wing spots (three per wing) and eight white wing spots (two per wing).
• Females are brown with yellow stripes down their abdomens and 12 black wing spots (three per wing).

Like most dragonflies in the United States, Twelve-spotted Skimmers like weedy, slow-moving water.

You can spot them around lakes with marshy shorelines and slow-moving streams. Individual Twelve-spotted Skimmers usually have a favorite perch. If one flies from a perch near you, you should move closer to the location and remain still. Odds are they’ll return to land again in a few minutes, and you can get a closer look!

Twelve-spotted Skimmers also visit nearby fields, prairies, and clearings to hunt, and some populations migrate. They are strong fliers that feed on almost any soft-bodied flying insect, including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, flying ants, or termites.

Male Twelve-spotted Skimmers make lengthy flights patrolling shoreline and open water areas, though these territories change daily. These flashy males will aggressively try to fend off other males, including those of other species. Male Twelve-spotted Skimmers often get into territorial disputes, making vertical loops in the air. Thankfully these disputes don’t result in physical harm. The male that can circle the other wins the territory.

#29. Blue-ringed Dancer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 1.1-1.3 in long.
• Males have blue thoraces with black shoulder and side stripes, black abdomens with blue rings and tips, blue eyespots, and amber-tinted wings.
• Females are brownish and weakly marked.

As their name suggests, their bouncy, dance-like flight patterns can help you distinguish these damselflies from other types. They’re quite widespread, and you’ll often spot them around vegetated slow-moving rivers, streams, ditches, and lakes.

Like other dragonflies and damselflies in the United States, pairs form a “wheel” position to mate. This position connects the tip of the male’s abdomen with the female’s head and the female’s reproductive organ on her abdomen, with sperm on the male has placed on his abdomen.

After mating, the pair flies gracefully in tandem, with the male grasping the female. Researchers have noticed that the male’s thorax darkens in color while the pair are flying in tandem.

The females deposit the eggs onto aquatic vegetation. The eggs hatch into nymphs or naiads, which live and feed underwater, preying on aquatic insects. When mature, they emerge from the water, shed their skin, and metamorphose into adult damselflies.

Which of these dragonflies have you seen in the United States?

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