Species › Insects & Arthropods › Calico Pennant

Calico Pennant

Celithemis elisa

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa)

The Calico Pennant is a small, jewel-like dragonfly with red heart-shaped spots on its black abdomen in males and yellow hearts in females, plus dark wing patches. It is one of the most attractive common dragonflies in the East. It perches on plant tips over ponds and is an energetic flier despite its small size.

Habitat
Ponds, lakes, and slow streams with emergent vegetation
Diet
Adults: small flying insects. Nymphs: aquatic invertebrates
How common
Common

Best time to see a Calico Pennant

The best time to see a Calico Pennant is June–July, when about 69% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 15,817 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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