#dragonflies

Black-tipped darner (Aeshna tuberculifera)

The genus Aeshna, or mosaic darners, contains many similar-looking species found in temperate and boreal regions across the Northern Hemisphere. If you live in the northern US or Canada, many of the large, fast dragonflies seen flying in swarms in late summer and fall belong to this genus.

A. tuberculifera is one of the largest Aeshna in North America, and in my opinion might be the coolest looking- just look at the turquoise on his thorax stripes!

It'd be hard to call the roseate skimmer by any other name! Males are noted for their bright pink color, which is rare among dragonflies. Thanks to their blush, they can be easily spotted near open bodies of water from the southeastern United States all the way to Brazil.

Dragonflies. Guide to the insects of Connecticut. 1911.