Whitetail Dragonfly

Over at the Old Cedar Ave Bridge I headed out to the boardwalk leading to a viewing platform in the mudflats of the Minnesota River. While walking down the boardwalk I noticed several common whitetail dragons sitting on the boardwalk.
Common whitetails are ground hunters so hey are frequently found perched on the ground waiting for prey to fly over head. The male common whitetail, pictured above, will stake out and defend a territory from other males. Dominant males will often flash their white tail at an interloping male.
Female whitetail, shown above, look for a location to lay their eggs. They look for aquatic habitat with a good layer of rotting vegetation. This is the preferred habitat for the nymph or larval form. When they find the right spot they will mate with the male who claims the territory then lay eggs by dipping the tip of their abdomen into the water as they skim across the surface.