Identification

Field Marks

• Average adult size is approximately 2.0 inches
• Yellow face with no facial markings
• Azure blue eyes
• Greenish-yellow thorax with bold first thoracic stripe followed by narrower 2nd stripe, broken or incomplete 3rd thoracic stripe and the fourth is faint and narrow
• Black legs with yellow stripe on femora
• Black abdomen with lance-shaped top spots on segments 3 to 7 and no top spots on 8 and 9
• Side border of segments 8 to 10 is a rusty color
• Segment 10 has a yellow top spot which covers most of the segment
• Wide yellow claspers. Cerci have an inward pointing spike

Field Marks

• Female is colored similarly to the male
• Female has longer abdominal top spots than the males
• Sometimes females have a tiny triangle at the base of segment 8
• The females terminal appendages look like a yellow Vikings helmet

Behavior

This species is often found perched, particularly on lily pads, but they will also perch on tree leaves, other aquatic vegetation, or sometimes on the ground. They hunt in sunlit woodland openings typically close to the water.

Habitat

Marshy and boggy lakes and ponds with a lot of aquatic vegetation and lily pads. Also slow moving streams.

Reproduction

Females tap their abdomen on the surface of the water every few seconds to lay their eggs