This is a large, showy dragonfly approximately 1 3/4 inches or 45 mm in length. The thorax and abdomen of the females and juvenile males are brown with a prominent yellow stripe extending from the top of the thorax and separating into lateral yellow stripes on the sides of the abdomen. The wings of the female are clear with black wingtips and larger black patches at the base of the wing. The abdomen and the thorax of the adult male becomes white or pruinose with age. Both the forewings and hindwings have a broad, black basal band with an adjacent white band through the center of the wing. This is the only dragonfly with this color pattern on the wings. Both sexes have black stigmas, a narrow cell near the wingtip. Juvenile males have the same body coloration as females, but the wings are as described for the adult male.
The Widow Skimmer is common on the Great Marsh and the Wetlands pond in Fontenelle Forest all summer. They can be seen flying low over the water or perched on vegetation by the water’s edge.
Females may oviposit alone, but if the number of males in the vicinity is high, the male will guard his female to prevent other males from mating with her. Females lay eggs by repeatedly dipping the tip of the abdomen into the water as they fly a few inches above the surface. The eggs hatch in about 5 days to begin their life in the aquatic larval stage.
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