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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Pennants (Celithemis) » Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa)

Species Celithemis elisa - Calico Pennant

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Calico Pennant - Celithemis elisa - female

Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) - Celithemis elisa - male

Calico Pennant - Celithemis elisa - male

Libellulidae-Celithemis elisa - Calico Pennant - Celithemis elisa - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder Anisoptera (Dragonflies)

Family Libellulidae (Skimmers)

Genus Celithemis (Pennants)

Species elisa (Calico Pennant)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Celithemis elisa (Hagen, 1861)

Size

Length 3.0 cm

Identification

Distinctive wing pattern; dark subterminal wing marking small and restricted to leading edge of wing.

Male has pink wing veins and red heart-shaped abdominal spots; female has yellow wing veins and bright yellow abdominal spots.

Range

Eastern and central North America

Habitat

Ponds, lakes with marshy borders

Season

March to October in south; June to August in north

Food

Predatory: forages in fields, perching on the tips of plants, as do other pennants.

Life Cycle

Males are not territorial; perch along edges of ponds, on the lookout for incoming females. Pairs perch on vegetation near water while mating, oviposit as a pair.

See Also

Halloween Pennant subterminal wing marking extends across wing from leading edge to trailing edge (in Calico Pennant, subterminal wing marking restricted to leading edge of wing)

Print References

Dunkle, p. 234, plate 44 (1)

Internet References

Missouri Department of Conservation

iNaturalist

Maryland Biodiversity Project

Wisconsin Odonata Survey

Works Cited

1.	Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America Sidney W. Dunkle. 2000. Oxford Press.

Contributed by Cotinis on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, marcie oconnor
Last updated 1 April, 2024 - 4:38pm

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