Meet a Couple Pennants

Today I've got both a Halloween Pennant and a Calico Pennant for you. Pennants are a genus of dragonflies that by being colorful and (frequently) perching on blades of blowing grass blades somewhat resemble pennants.

This first one is a female Calico Pennant, holding onto one of those forementioned blades of grass. She's got large black-and-yellow basal spots on the hind wings, smaller black spots on the tips of the wings and partial spots closer to the abdomen. She'll be looking for a male, who has basically similar markings except he'll be red where she's yellow.

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148592226, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

The second one is a Halloween Pennant. In comparison to the Calicos, they tend to have complete dark bands on their wings rather than spots. There's supposed to be a slightly orangish tinge to the translucent parts of the wing, and as orange is a Halloween color they are named after that holiday.

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148592735, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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