# Banded Pennant (*Celithemis fasciata*) The Banded Pennant is a colorful dragonfly with bright yellow and black stripes. It loves to fly around sunny areas, catching tiny bugs to eat. Watching it zoom by is always a fun sight! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Banded Pennant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Banded_Pennant.jpg&width=800) Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Banded_Pennant.jpg) ## Appearance The Banded Pennant has a reddish-brown body, often with a brighter red abdomen in males, and distinctive dark reddish-brown bands or spots on each of its four transparent wings. Females tend to be more yellowish-brown, making them visually distinct from the brighter males. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Libellulidae - **Genus:** Celithemis ## Interesting facts - Banded Pennant nymphs live underwater for up to five years before they become adult dragonflies. - Each day, a single Banded Pennant can eat hundreds of bothersome mosquitoes. - They are ancient insects, having flown the Earth for over 300 million years! - They can control each of their four wings independently, allowing for amazing aerial stunts! ## Special abilities - **Super Sight:** Banded Pennant has huge compound eyes that help them spot tiny flying insects from far away in almost every direction. - **Acrobatic Flight:** Banded Pennant can fly backwards, hover, and turn instantly because of its powerful, independently moving wings. - **Prey Catching Basket:** Banded Pennant has spiky legs that form a basket to scoop flying insects right out of the air while flying. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 50-70 mm - **Size:** 30-45 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-90 days - **Flight Speed:** 25 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These speedy hunters catch and eat other insects, especially pesky mosquitoes and flies! - **Age differences:** Young nymphs eat aquatic insects and tiny tadpoles underwater; adults eat flying insects above water. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, flies, gnats, small moths, midges - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Yellow fever mosquito](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-fever-mosquito) (*Aedes aegypti*) — Adults actively pursue and eat mosquitoes. - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Adult dragonflies can be prey for large frogs. - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Nymphs living underwater are prey for fish. ## Traits - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Dragonflies are friendly and won't hurt you, but it's best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Banded Pennant? Compare wing shape and resting posture, where the eyes sit, body markings and the tail segments. Males and females can look very different in color. Dragonfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Banded Pennant's wingspan? 50-70 mm ### How big is Banded Pennant? 30-45 mm ### How long does Banded Pennant live? 30-90 days ### How fast can Banded Pennant fly? 25 km/h ### What does Banded Pennant eat? These speedy hunters catch and eat other insects, especially pesky mosquitoes and flies! ### Where is Banded Pennant usually found? Wetlands ### How does Banded Pennant hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Shimek State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shimek-state-forest) — Iowa, US · Forest - [Verbena](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/verbena) — Alabama, US · Neighborhood - [Martin State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/martin-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest - [Sears - Bellows Pond County Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sears-bellows-pond-county-park) — New York, US · Park [View all places to see Banded Pennant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/banded-pennant) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Banded Pennant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/banded-pennant)