The Descriptive Dot-tailed Whiteface

Have you ever wondered how a bird, plant, animal or insect got its name? When you look at things like red-bellied woodpeckers and ring-necked ducks do you think that the person who named them must have been on crack?
Well the dot-tailed whiteface dragonfly is not in that category. As you can see from the top picture this pond skimmer does have a dot near the end of its abdomen, which many people call a tail. The photo above demonstrates that it is indeed a member of the genus Leucorrhinia, or whiteface. A common dragonfly seen around here especially early in the summer, they are easy to identify because of their aptly descriptive name.