This dragonfly appears similar to the genus Tramea, called Saddlebags, but it does not exactly match any of them in appearance. Leafing through the plates in Abbott's book, number 48b has a male Calico Pennant that is very close in appearance to this individual. I am pretty certain that that is what this is. There were more than a dozen at the site where I photographed this one.

"This is one of the more common and widespread small pennants in our area. It is easily distinguished by the wing markings, which include a brown spot basally ... The basal spot in the hindwing is large, occupying 1/4 or more of the wing area, and is usually bicolored, encompassing a central amber area."

This is a female.

April 18, 2008.