Near still and flowing waters
Small damselfly
Male: Primarily blue-black; blue abdominal segments 8 – 10; primarily blue thorax with thin black stripes; can look blue-green
Female: Brown-olive; primarily black abdomen with narrow pale dorsal stripe; black abdominal segment 9 with tan stripes on sides and top; can look multicolored
Blue-fronted dancer (male) (Argia apicalis) Image by Lee Elliott/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Usually near flowing water
Similar to blue-fronted dancer
Male: Powdery-white thorax with thick black shoulder stripe; powdery-white tip of abdomen
Female: Pale-brown thorax but no distinct stripes; black abdomen with wide pale top stripe; can look multicolored
Powdered dancer (male) (Argia moesta) Image by JimJohnson/CC BY-NC 4.0
Powdered dancer (female) (Argia moesta) Image by Kurt Andreas/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Small common damselfly
Male: Primarily light blue; blue stripe on thorax; black dorsal spots on abdominal segments 3 – 5; teardrop-shaped spots behind each eye; triangular cerci
Female: Similar to male but olive or light brown
Familiar bluet (male) (Enallagma civile) Image by Tom Potterfield/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Familiar bluet (female) (Enallagma civile) Image by Jacy Lucier/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Almost identical to familiar bluet though slightly smaller
Male: Slightly blacker abdomen than familiar bluet; best differentiated by shape of cerci
Female: Light green (versus olive or light-brown familiar bluet)
Marsh bluet (male) (Enallagma ebrium) Image by Paul Bedell/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Marsh bluet (female) (Enallagma ebrium) Image by Jacy Lucier/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Near streams
Male: Narrow eyespots behind eyes; narrow stripes on thorax; completely blue abdominal segment 9, other segments dorsally black and ventrally blue
Female: Pale-green thorax and abdomen; blue abdominal segment 10; mostly blue abdominal segment 9
Stream bluet (male) (Enallagma exsulans) Image by Lisa Brown/CC BY-NC 2.0
Stream bluet (female) (Enallagma exsulans) Image by Bill Carrell/CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Often perched near slow-moving streams
Large damselfly
Male: Distinctive dark-red spot on base of wing; metallic-red stripes on thorax
Female: Light-red spot near base of wing; not as deeply colored as male; dull-brown stripes on thorax
American rubyspot (male) (Hetaerina americana) Image by Jerry Oldenettel/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
American rubyspot (female) (Hetaerina americana) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Extremely common at still and flowing waters
Male: Green thorax with thick black lateral stripe; mostly black abdomen; blue final segments with lateral black spots
Female: Same color as male with more blue on final abdominal segments; immature can be orange, mature can be gray with no blue
Eastern forktail (male) (Ischnura verticalis) Image by sankax/CC BY-NC 2.0
Eastern forktail (female) (Ischnura verticalis) Image by Chris Hayes/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Often near streams
Large damselfly
Male: Metallic blue-green bodies; distinctive all-black wings
Female: Powdery-blue-black bodies; all-black wings not as dark as male's
Ebony jewelwing (male) (Calopteryx maculata) Image by Allen Gathman/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Ebony jewelwing (female) (Calopteryx maculata) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Largest dragonfly in Illinois; common all season; often first and last observed
Male: Green thorax; light-blue abdomen; no markings on wings
Female: Green thorax; light-brown abdomen; no markings on wings
Common green darner (male) (Anax junius) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Common green darner (female) (Anax junius) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Large dragonfly; common all season; slightly smaller than common green darner
Male: Black thorax and abdomen; large black "saddlebag" patches at base of each hind wing
Female: Black thorax; black abdomen with yellow dorsal spots; wing markings similar to male's
Black saddlebags (male) (Tramea lacerata) Image by Jerry Friedman/CC BY-SA 2.0
Black saddlebags (female) (Tramea lacerata) Image by Victor Fazio/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Common near ponds and lakes
Medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Distinctive, alternating pattern of three black and two white patches on all four wings; black tip on each wing; powdery-white or faint light-blue abdomen
Female: Wing pattern similar to male's but no white patches; yellow lateral stripes on abdomen
Twelve-spotted skimmer (male) (Libellula pulchella) Image by Paul Bedell/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Twelve-spotted skimmer (female) (Libellula pulchella) Image by Paul Bedell/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Commonly perched near ponds and lakes
Medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Brown-rust body; amber wings with brown-rust bands
Female: Body not as deeply colored as male's; wing bands not as deeply colored as male's, sometimes yellow
Halloween pennant (male) (Celithemis eponina) Image by Ken Slade/CC BY-NC 2.0
Halloween pennant (female) (Celithemis eponina) Image by Ken Slade/CC BY-NC 2.0
Hovers over ponds
Extremely small dragonfly
Male: Solid amber wings; dull-brown or rust body
Female: Brown-amber marks on wings (versus solid amber on male's); brown body
Eastern amberwing (male) (Perithemis tenera) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Eastern amberwing (female) (Perithemis tenera) Image by Ken Slade/CC BY-NC 2.0
Commonly perched near ponds and lakes
Small
Male: Powder-blue abdomen; black thorax with light-green lateral stripes; no wing markings
Female: Dull-brown to light-green abdomen; light-green lateral stripes on thorax; no wing markings
Blue dasher (male) (Pachydiplax longipennis) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Blue dasher (female) (Pachydiplax longipennis) Image byJason Michael Crockwell/CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Commonly perched near ponds and lakes
Small to medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Powder-blue thorax and abdomen; green face; no wing markings
Female: Bright-green thorax; black dorsal stripes on bright-green abdomen; no wing markings
Eastern pondhawk (male) (Erythemis simplicicollis) Image by Ken Slade/CC BY-NC 2.0
Eastern pondhawk (female) (Erythemis simplicicollis) Image by Ken Slade/CC BY-NC 2.0
Commonly perched near ponds and lakes
Small- to medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Black tips on all wings; small black spots and large red-black basal patches on hind wings; red-black body; red dorsal triangles on abdomen
Female: Similar to male but yellow instead of red
Calico pennant (male) (Celithemis elisa) Image by Nick Block/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Calico pennant (female) (Celithemis elisa) Image by Dan Mullen/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Extremely common near ponds and lakes
Medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Large black basal patch and white distal patch on each wing; powder-blue abdomen
Female: Same basal patches as male without white distal patch; dark abdomen with yellow stripes
Widow skimmer (male) (Libellula luctuosa) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
Widow skimmer (female) (Libellula luctuosa) Image by John Boback/CC BY-NC 4.0
Extremely common near ponds and lakes
Medium-sized dragonfly
Male: Distinctive powder-white abdomen; single black medial patch on each wing
Female: White-yellow triangular lateral patches on abdomen; black tips and patches on each wing but no white
Common whitetail (male) (Libellula lydia) Image by Greg Lasley/CC BY-NC 4.0
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