This dragonfly species, common whitetail (Plathemis lydia), is probably the most often encountered of all the 188 species of dragonflies and damselflies in the entire state. It’s found at or near just about any slow or still body of water in the state and often far from the lake, pond, or puddle of origin.

The picture above was taken in Wander Away in Catch the Wind here at the museum. The dragonfly, as the title of this post states, is a female of the species perched atop rudbeckia. If you stroll through Wander Away at this time of year you’ll see many of these odonates.