Calico Pennant

Calico pennant dragonfly perched on a twig
Scientific Name
Celithemis elisa
Family
Libellulidae (skimmers) in the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
Description

The calico pennant is a colorful, beautifully marked dragonfly. A key identifier for this species is the dark spot that occurs short of the wing tip (the subterminal dark spot): this spot is positioned next to the leading edge of the wing, and it does not extend as a band to the trailing edge of the wing.

  • Females and young males have yellow wing veins, and bright yellow heart-shaped spots on the abdomen.
  • Mature males have pink wing veins, and bright red heart-shaped spots on the abdomen.

Similar species: The Halloween pennant (C. eponina) has similar colors and wing markings, but the dark spot positioned short of the wing tip runs as a band all across the wing, from leading edge to trailing edge.

Learn more about this and other dragonflies on their group page.

Media Gallery
Calico pennant dragonfly perched on a twig
The calico pennant (Celithemis elisa) is a beautifully marked dragonfly. Males have pink wing veins, and bright red heart-shaped spots on the abdomen.
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Male calico pennant dragonfly perched on a twig tip
Unlike most dragonflies, male calico pennants are not territorial toward each other. Therefore you may see groups of them perched on twigs and grasses on the margins of ponds and other still waters, looking for females.
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Calico pennant dragonfly perched on a twig
Male calico pennant dragonfly perched on a twig tip
Similar Species
About Land Invertebrates in Missouri
Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.
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