Skimmers
Family Libellulidae
Genus Plathemis
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)



Similar species – female and immature male Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella).


Flight season: late May to late August, sometimes to mid-September.

Population: common, generally encountered at ponds or marshes. Forages along the trans-Canada Trail, but usually doesn't wander too far from its preferred habitat.

Length: about 40 mm to 45 mm. Females are distinguished from female and immature male Twelve-spotted Skimmers by the markings on their respective abdomens (see notes below).


Tweed, Ontario, about ½ km west of town, a marsh bordering the trans-Canada Trail: typical local marsh with Cattails, sedges and other emergent vegetation, various small willows, alders, dogwoods and some Tamarack.
Male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) – a fast, robust dragonfly that often prefers to perch on logs, stones or the ground (June 26, 2012).


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Teneral male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
June 06, 2012

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Female Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) – a late flier, with somewhat lackluster markings and colors due to age (September 16, 2014).


Tweed, Ontario, along the trans-Canada Trail about 2 km west of town: woodlands and meadows supporting tall grasses and wildflowers, with nearby marshes providing breeding habitat.
Immature male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) – still too young to have developed the characteristic brilliant white pruinescence on its abdomen (May 30, 2014).


Tweed, Ontario, along the trans-Canada Trail about 2 km east of town: woodland with sunlit open spaces created by the trail, Stoco Lake is not far to the south.
Female Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) – the dark patterning on the wings is very similar to that of female and immature male Twelve-spotted Skimmers. However, the female Common Whitetail has a series of bright white dots edged with contrasting black on its abdomen. Compare to the continuous pale yellow stripe of the Twelve-spotted Skimmer (June 06, 2011).


Northeast of Tweed on Highway 7, near Studio 737: sunlit forest clearing with shrubs, tall grasses and wildflowers.
Female Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
June 19, 2011