Field Guide

Armored harvestmen have spines on their fingerlike mouthparts (pedipalps). Unlike other harvestmen, members of this suborder of so-called daddy longlegs do not usually have long legs.

The widow skimmer has distinctive dark wing markings that seem like mourning garb. Mature males have white areas in the center of their wings, beside the dark patches, while females and immature males lack the white patches.

Spinyleg clubtails are dragonflies in genus Dromogomphus. There are at least three species that look very similar.

The cobra clubtail is in the family of dragonflies called clubtails, named for the enlarged abdomen tip. There are about 100 species in this dragonfly family in North America north of Mexico.

The calico pennant is a colorful, beautifully marked dragonfly. Males have pink wing veins and females have yellow. Males have a row of bright reddish heart-shapes on the abdomen; females have yellow.

The Halloween pennant is one of the more common members of its genus. Distinctive wing markings include a complete brown band (not just a spot) positioned just short of the wing tip.

The eastern amberwing is a tiny species of dragonfly that only reaches about 1 inch in length. Each of the four amber-colored wings has a red spot on the outer leading edge.

Blue dasher males and females look quite different. Both have a white face, a black abdomen tip, and slanted black and yellow stripes on the thorax. But males are blue and females are striped black and yellow.

The black saddlebags is a dragonfly with memorable markings. Two dark blotches on each hindwing look like saddlebags.

The twelve-spotted skimmer has twelve brown wing spots. Males, like this one, have eight additional spots that are white. Females lack the white spots.