Halloween pennant by David Whited

Halloween pennant

David Whited

Halloween pennant

Digital photography

Inv: PH-1634

The Halloween pennant (*Celithemis eponina*) is a medium-sized dragonfly in the skimmer family Libellulidae, native to eastern North America and the West Indies, and gets its festive name from its entirely orange-to-yellow wings marked with dark brown bands. Growing about 1.5 to 1.7 inches long, it has a yellow or reddish dorsal stripe running down its abdomen, with young adults and females showing yellow markings that redden as males mature, especially on the face. True to its "pennant" name, it perches at the tips of vegetation near ponds, marshes, and lakes, where it waves in the breeze like a small flag — and it's often described as the most butterfly-like of dragonflies for its fluttery, unhurried flight. As an adult, it hunts flying insects like mosquitoes, flies, and gnats on the wing, and it's notably hardy, able to fly even in rain and strong wind.