Calico Pennant

Celithemis elisa — the calico pennant — is one of the most ornate small dragonflies in North America and one of about 7 species in genus Celithemis (the 'pennant' dragonflies — small ornately-patterned NA dragonflies named for the perching behavior). The species is widespread across all of eastern and central North America from southern Canada south through the eastern US to Texas. Adults are 2-3 cm body length (small for a dragonfly), 5-6 cm wingspan, with the species' diagnostic features: INTRICATE WING PATTERNS featuring multiple AMBER, DARK BROWN, AND CLEAR PATCHES that look like miniature stained-glass windows; ABDOMINAL COLOR DIMORPHISM by sex (males have bright RED ABDOMINAL SPOTS along the dorsal abdomen; females and immature males have YELLOW-ORANGE ABDOMINAL SPOTS); and small body size compared to most other NA dragonflies. The intricate wing patterns are one of the most-photographed visual features in NA Odonata macro nature photography — at the scale of human visual perception, the wing patterns look like complex mosaic art with multiple distinct colored regions creating a striking dappled appearance. The species is named for the 'PENNANT' BEHAVIOR — calico pennants and other Celithemis species frequently perch on GRASS STEMS, SEDGE STEMS, AND SLENDER TWIGS at pond margins with the wings angled UPWARD AT 45-60 DEGREES (rather than the more typical horizontal dragonfly wing-rest posture). The angled-wing perching makes the dragonfly look like a miniature FLAG OR PENNANT FLYING FROM THE PERCH (the perched dragonfly's body is the flagpole and the angled wings are the flag flapping in the breeze) — the source of both the 'pennant' common name and the 'pennant' family-level name applied to genus Celithemis. The species inhabits well-vegetated ponds, lakes, and slow streams across eastern NA — typical NA dragonfly habitat. Like all dragonflies, the species is a major beneficial mosquito predator — adults consume small flying insects (mosquitoes, midges, gnats), and naiads consume mosquito larvae and other small aquatic invertebrates over a 1-year aquatic development period. The species is widespread, harmless to humans (no sting, no bite), and one of the most-photographed small dragonflies in NA macro nature photography because of the dramatic visual impact of the wing patterns and pennant perching behavior.