Despite their name, dragonflies are not harmful and they’re not flies. They don’t sting or bite and they’re more efficient at pest control than your Orkin man. But they do have quirks. Here are a few words about two of our native dragonflies that are winging it around here now.
Above, you see what appears to be a mature male white-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum obtrusum). Their females are yellowish-brown or burnished orange with black triangles down the sides of the abdomen. One of the unusual habits of this species is that they do handstands on perches with their abdomens pointed straight up to stay cool. The position apparently minimizes the surface area exposed to the sun.
Below, , you’ll see what appears to be a mature male Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta). Their females are brown with a dark stripe down their back. Unlike most other species, female slaty blues lay their fertilized eggs like bombers – they hover over ponds and lakes and drop the eggs.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on July 15 and 12, 2026.)