Here is a beautiful species of dragonfly that is very common around ponds across much of the US. You also might see them in your yard in the late summer looking for mosquitoes and other insects to eat. Why are these dragonflies called “widow”? In most species of dragonfly, the males stay with the females as they lay their eggs. In this species, the male flies away after mating thus making the female a “widow.” In the old days, widows wore black clothes including a black shawl. You can see that this flashy dragonfly has black markings on its wings kind of like a shawl. Look for this dragonfly in your yard this summer.
