Common Baskettail Dragonfly

Found near lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams, and marshy areas across much of North America.

Both adults and larvae are predatory; adults catch flying insects like mosquitoes and flies mid-air, while larvae eat aquatic invertebrates.

Known for the female's habit of carrying an egg mass at the tip of her abdomen (looking like a basket) before dipping it into the water; they often swarm in large numbers during spring.

Harmless to humans; highly beneficial to ecosystems as they act as a natural pest control by consuming large quantities of mosquitoes and other small flies.