Dot-Tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) lives in ponds and lakes across North America. It feeds on mosquitoes and flies. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Dot-Tailed Whiteface
- The dot-tailed whiteface's aquatic nymph is exceptionally tiny, measuring only 9/16 to 3/4 inch (14-19 mm) from head to tail. Its short, stocky form is described as a "sprawler" because the abdomen is rounded, helping it hide among submerged vegetation where it waits for prey.
- The nymph's abdomen is equipped with a series of defensive structures: needle-shaped hooks line the tops of segments three through eight, while each of the final two segments bears a single rear-facing spine on either side. These features are noted on abdominal segments three through nine.
- Male dot-tailed whitefaces are marked by a single yellow spot on the dorsal side of the abdomen, a clear visual cue that sets them apart from females, which have multiple dorsal yellow spots.
- Female dot-tailed whitefaces are marked with a series of yellow spots that run along the top of the abdomen, the final one being conspicuously large and square-shaped, and they also bear a modest yellow stripe on the side of the middle abdomen. In both sexes, the abdomen has been known to fade when they age.
- Once copulation is complete, the male stays aloft directly above the female as she releases the eggs, a behaviour that serves to keep rival males away. He maintains this aerial guard until she finishes dipping the tip of her abdomen into the water to deposit the eggs.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatPonds and lakes
DietMosquitoes and flies
About the Dot-Tailed Whiteface
As the sun casts its golden rays upon the serene waters, the Dot-Tailed Whiteface dances across the surface, its delicate form gliding effortlessly on iridescent wings, a masterful display of agility and poise. With each subtle movement, the dragonfly's powdery white face and vibrant blue-green thorax seem to shimmer, as if infused with an inner light, drawing the observer into its enchanting world. In this fleeting realm of water and air, the Dot-Tailed Whiteface reigns, a whirling dervish of colour and motion, its very existence a testament to the beauty and wonder of the natural world.
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