Dot-tailed Whiteface

Leucorrhinia intacta

The Dot-tailed Whiteface is a beautiful dragonfly with a special dot on its tail. It loves to fly around ponds and wetlands, catching tiny bugs to eat. Watch it zoom and dart in the sunshine!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Dot-tailed Whiteface is a small, dark dragonfly, often appearing blackish. Males have a distinctive white face and a prominent yellow or white spot at the very end of their abdomen, which gives them their name. Their wings are clear with dark veins.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidaeGenusLeucorrhinia

Dot-tailed Whiteface

Interesting facts

After emerging, they shed their skin one last time, leaving behind a ghost-like shell!

Baby Dot-tailed Whitefaces, called nymphs, live underwater for years before they become flying adults!

Their amazing eyes have up to 30,000 tiny lenses, seeing in almost every direction!

They are ancient insects, flying since before dinosaurs walked the Earth!

Special abilities

Dot-tailed Whiteface has enormous compound eyes that give it nearly 360-degree vision, helping them spot prey or predators instantly.

Dot-tailed Whiteface can fly forwards, backwards, and hover because its four wings move independently, allowing for incredible mid-air maneuvers.

Dot-tailed Whiteface has spiky legs it uses to form a 'basket' that helps them scoop flying insects right out of the air.

Dot-tailed Whiteface nymphs can breathe underwater and are fierce hunters because of specialized gills and extendable jaws.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 50-60 mm
Size: 33-40 mm
Lifespan: 30-60 days
Flight Speed: 35 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

These fierce hunters eat other flying insects, catching them in mid-air!

Age differences: Nymphs eat aquatic invertebrates and small fish, while adults hunt flying insects.

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
flies
midges
moths
smaller dragonflies

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Eats adult mosquitoes, helping control populations.

hunts

House Fly

Musca domestica

Catches and eats flying house flies in mid-air.

eaten by

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Adult dragonflies are prey for this agile bird.

eaten by

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Dragonfly nymphs are a food source for these fish.

Traits

Spotted

Marked with spots or patches of a different color.

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

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.