Common Whitetail dragonflies (Plathemis lydia) are prominent in southern Minnesota (see below). The mature male has a white abdomen, and a single dark band on each wing. They frequently perch on plant stems while eating their prey. They are approximately 4 cm in length.
Common whitetail - male
Common whitetail - male
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The female's wings each have three dark patches, and her abdomen is brown with a whitish zig-zag pattern bilaterally (see below).
Common whitetail - female
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The immature male (see below) may have the typical wing pattern as the mature male, but will retain the female pattern on the abdomen until maturity when he develops a white abdomen.
Common whitetail - immature male