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These dragonflies are small and mostly black in color. The thorax and
slim abdomens are usually patterned in red or yellow depending upon sex and
maturity. Pruinosity is seen in some adult speies. Wings are mostly clear but may
have a black basal spots. Their faces are white, hence their name "Whitefaces".
Females are the same as males or yellowish where the male is red.
Whitefaces are difficult to ID in the field since many of them look similar,
with the juveniles it is Sometimes necessary to examine in the hand, comparing terminal
appendages and wing venetion to completely determine it's identification since coloring
is highly variable within the species.
The whitefaces are closely related to the meadowhawks and are similar in shape and
behavior. They differ in having bright white faces and small dark basal wing
patches, are generally blacker in coloration, and fly earlier in the season.
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