Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia

The males are unmistakable: a chunky white body adorned with a checkered pattern of brownish-black bands across otherwise clear wings. Females are trickier—they're brown with different wing patterns—but you can distinguish them by their smaller size and white zigzag abdominal stripes. This striking sexual dimorphism makes spotting both sexes across wetlands a fun identification challenge.