Species of the Month

November’s article written by Ella Stroud, Co-Op Student - Cayuga Secondary School

October has recently come to a close which means preparation for the winter season. Halloween has come and gone, but did you know that there is a species with the same name as the beloved holiday? The Halloween Pennant is a dragonfly with orange-coloured wings and stripes of dark brown which were considered in its name being “Halloween”. The Halloween Pennant is found around the United States as well as in Ontario, Canada. They are most active in the summer months, flying around marshes, ponds, lakes and are frequently seen sitting on the vegetation nearby these water sources.

This species of dragonfly is medium-sized with the average size of the adult ranging from 38- 42mm (about half the length of the long edge of a credit card). They have a stripe on their abdomen that is either reddish or yellow. The stripe on females(left) is yellow and the stripe on males(right) is yellow at first, but turns darker to the reddish color as they mature. These markings are also found on their wing veins, and face.

After mating, the female drops the eggs into the water. The nymphs hatch and are entirely aquatic surviving by eating other aquatic life. They will molt first in the water and, as they get closer to adulthood, will climb out of the water to molt again becoming an adult and then will fly away. The now adult Halloween Pennant flies off to find themselves a mate, feeding on other wildlife they come across and the life-cycle continues.