Red-tailed Pennant

Brachymesia furcata

The Red-tailed Pennant is a colorful dragonfly with bright red and yellow markings. It loves to fly around sunny areas near water, showing off its beautiful wings.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Red-tailed Pennant is a medium-sized dragonfly with a distinct reddish-orange abdomen on males, while females are duller yellowish-brown. Its clear wings feature a prominent dark spot (stigma) near the tip, and the thorax often displays yellowish streaks.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidaeGenusBrachymesia

Red-tailed Pennant

Interesting facts

Adult Red-tailed Pennants can catch and eat tiny insects while flying at top speed!

Their underwater nymphs breathe through gills inside their abdomen, a unique survival trick!

These dragonflies are ancient, with fossils showing they have existed for over 300 million years!

They help clean the air by eating thousands of flying pests, keeping nature in balance!

Special abilities

Red-tailed Pennant can hover and fly backwards because of powerful wing muscles that help them hunt agile prey.

Red-tailed Pennant has enormous compound eyes that allow them to see almost 360 degrees, helping spot tiny flying insects.

Red-tailed Pennant nymphs can blend into murky water because of their cryptic coloration that hides them from fish predators.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 60-85 mm
Size: 35-50 mm
Lifespan: 30-90 days
Flight Speed: 35 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

Red-tailed Pennants are aerial hunters that feast on small flying insects like mosquitoes and flies.

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

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
midges
flies
gnats
small moths
butterflies

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Adult dragonflies are a food source for various bird species.

eaten by

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Dragonfly nymphs are prey for many freshwater fish species.

eats

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Adult Red-tailed Pennants consume numerous mosquitoes.

eats

Non-biting Midge

Chironomus plumosus

Dragonflies actively hunt and consume swarms of midges.

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.