Identification

Field Marks

• Average adult size is approximately 2.2 inches
• Over all brown colored with brown eyes
• Whitish crossline on face
• Two whitish spots on face below eyes
• Thorax brown with a single whitish side stripe outlined by a black stripe on either side
• Long spider-like brown legs
• Abdomen brown with whitish top spots on segments 3 to 8, spots splitting into two closer to the thorax
• Wings have a small brown spot at the base and the lead wing vein is brown
• Male abdomen is distinctly clubbed with whitish claspers

Field Marks

• Female is colored similarly to the male
• Whitish markings and crossline on face
• Single whitish thoracic side stripe
• Whitish top spots on abdominal segments 3 to 8
• Abdomen white tipped with no noticeable clubbing

Behavior

Males swiftly patrol a territory, along river and stream banks or lake shores, of up to 100 yards, sometimes stopping to hover. Foraging often takes place in woodlands away from water with the cruiser flying low over the ground, weaving through the vegetation. When at rest they often hang vertically from twigs or leaves or lay horizontally on branches

Habitat

Large slow moving streams and rivers with sandy bottoms and not much vegetation Also wave-swept lakes shores.

Reproduction

Mating can occur even before a cruiser is fully mature. Females lay eggs by flying over the water and quickly tapping the surface of the water with their abdomen