This is a medium-sized, colorful skimmer approximately 1 1/2 inches or 37 mm in length. The wide wings are yellow-orange with large dark brown to blackish bands. The males have a red face, red markings on the body and red stigmas on the wings. In females and juveniles the body markings, wings and wing stigmas are yellow.
Halloween Pennants can be seen around the blind area at the Great Marsh perched on vegetation most commonly in July and August.
These Pennants perch on tall weeds sometimes with the wings held at a dihedral angle. On hot days they may raise the abdomen in an obelisk position so that the dark wing patches can shade the thorax. The male holds the female in tandem with his claspers while she lays eggs. They begin flying early in the morning and most reproductive activity takes place by mid-morning.
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