Halloween Pennant

Celithemis eponina

The Halloween Pennant is a colorful dragonfly with bright orange and black wings. They love to flutter around ponds and sunny spots, showing off their beautiful colors.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Halloween Pennant has a reddish-brown body with clear wings strikingly marked by large, irregular patches of amber-orange and dark brown. These distinct wing patterns, especially the orange and dark brown blotches, make it easily recognizable among other dragonflies.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidaeGenusCelithemis

Halloween Pennant

Interesting facts

A Halloween Pennant's eyes have tens of thousands of tiny lenses!

Dragonflies can move each of their four wings independently for amazing stunts.

It can eat over a hundred mosquitoes in just one day!

Its larvae, called nymphs, live underwater for months, breathing through gills!

Special abilities

The Halloween Pennant has huge compound eyes covering most of its head that help it spot tiny insects from far away.

This dragonfly can fly incredibly fast, hover, and even dart backward to catch other flying insects in mid-air.

The Halloween Pennant has spiky legs that form a 'basket' to scoop up and hold prey while flying.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 50-70 mm
Size: 35-48 mm
Lifespan: 30-90 days
Flight Speed: 40 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

These speedy hunters snatch up smaller flying insects right out of the air!

Age differences: Larval nymphs hunt aquatic insects underwater; adults hunt flying insects in the air.

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
gnats
flies
small moths
midges

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Yellow Fever Mosquito

Aedes aegypti

Adult dragonflies prey on these flying insects.

eats

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Fish often eat the aquatic dragonfly nymphs.

eats

American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Frogs consume adult dragonflies when they land.

eats

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Many bird species will catch and eat adult dragonflies.

Traits

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.