Calico Pennant Identification Guide
A small, boldly patterned skimmer with heart-shaped red or yellow spots down its abdomen that flags in the breeze from tall grass tips.
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Key Visual Features
The Calico Pennant is a small, strikingly patterned dragonfly, about 1.2 to 1.4 inches (30-35 mm) long, named for its multicolored, patchwork wing and body markings.
- Body color: Mature males show a series of red to orange heart-shaped spots running down the top of the abdomen, paired with an orange-red thorax. Females and immatures show the same pattern but in yellow rather than red.
- Wings: Each wing has a colored patch near the base and a colored stigma (the small rectangular mark near the wingtip) — orange-red in males, yellow in females — set against otherwise clear wings.
- Body shape: Slim, moderately flattened abdomen typical of small skimmers, with a compact thorax.
- Legs: Dark and thin, suited to gripping thin plant stems.
- Behavior clue: Often perches at the very tip of a grass stem or twig with wings held out, flagging like a pennant in the wind — the source of its name.
Where and When You'll See It
Calico Pennants favor ponds, lake margins, and slow streams with abundant emergent vegetation such as grasses, sedges, and rushes. They are typically seen from late spring through summer, most active on sunny days, and are easy to spot perched conspicuously on the topmost blades of waterside vegetation rather than hidden low down.
Similar-Looking Species
- Halloween Pennant: Larger, with heavily banded orange-brown wings rather than isolated spots, giving a more solidly colored wing overall.
- Band-winged Meadowhawk: Also shows some wing color, but as a band across the wing rather than the two-spot pennant pattern, and lacks the heart-shaped abdomen spots.
- Eastern Amberwing: Smaller still, with uniformly amber wings rather than a two-spot pattern.
Quick ID Checklist
- Small dragonfly, about 1.2-1.4 inches long
- Heart-shaped spots down the top of the abdomen (red in males, yellow in females)
- Two colored patches per wing: one at the base, one at the stigma
- Perches at the tips of tall grasses or reeds, flagging in the wind
- Found at vegetated pond and lake edges
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a male from a female Calico Pennant?
Males show red to orange heart-shaped spots and wing patches, while females and immature individuals show the identical pattern in yellow instead of red.
What is distinctive about how this dragonfly perches?
It commonly perches right at the tip of a grass blade or reed with wings spread, flagging in the breeze like a small pennant, which is where its name comes from.
How can I tell it apart from a Halloween Pennant?
The Halloween Pennant has broader, more solidly banded orange-brown wings, while the Calico Pennant shows only two separate colored patches per wing along with heart-shaped abdomen spots.
What habitat should I check to find one?
Ponds, lake edges, and slow streams with tall emergent grasses or sedges are the best places to look, especially on sunny days.