Invertebrates
Calico Pennant
Celithemis elisa · also called calico pennants
A small, vividly patterned dragonfly sways gently at the very tip of a reed overhanging a pond, its row of heart-shaped red markings and amber-tinted wings making the calico pennant one of the easier dragonflies to identify at first glance.
Overview
The calico pennant, Celithemis elisa, is a small, colourful dragonfly native to still, vegetated pond and lake habitat across a broad range of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its distinctive row of heart-shaped abdominal markings, amber wing patches, and habit of perching at the very tips of overhanging vegetation make it one of the more visually charming and easily recognised dragonflies in eastern wetlands.
A dragonfly built like a flag on a pole
True to its pennant name, this species chooses the most exposed, swaying tips of grasses and reeds to perch on, displaying its colourful heart-marked abdomen from a vantage point that catches both sunlight and a passing breeze.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable pond and lake habitat throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Calico Pennant: common questions
Why is it called the calico pennant?
This species shows a distinctive row of small heart-shaped markings running down the middle of the abdomen, along with amber-tinted wing patches, a colourful, patterned combination reminiscent of calico fabric, and its habit of perching loosely at the tips of vegetation like a small flag gave the species the "pennant" part of its name.
How do male and female calico pennants differ in colour?
Mature males display vivid red body colouration along with red heart-shaped abdominal markings, while females and immature males instead show a yellow and brown pattern with yellow markings in the same positions, making the two sexes readily distinguishable from each other at a glance once the colour difference is known.
Where does the calico pennant like to perch?
This species frequently perches loosely at the very tips of grasses, reeds, or twigs projecting out over water, a behaviour shared with several other pennant dragonfly species and one that often makes the insect sway gently with the wind, similar to a small flag or pennant flying from a pole.
What does the calico pennant eat?
This species feeds on mosquitoes, midges, and other small flying insects, caught in flight over the still, vegetated ponds and lakes it inhabits, a diet shared broadly with many other dragonfly species that hunt aerial insect prey around similar water bodies.