8 Types of Dragonflies in Texas and How to Identify Them

Texas hosts an outsized share of North America’s dragonflies, and a handful of species show up so often near ponds, lakes, and slow rivers that they’ve become familiar faces to anyone who spends time outdoors. Learning to name a few common types of dragonflies in Texas turns a quiet walk along the water into an identification game worth playing. From migratory darners to fiery orange skimmers, each species carries its own color pattern, habitat preference, and hunting style.

According to the University of Texas Press description of Dragonflies of Texas: A Field Guide, Texas hosts 160 species of dragonflies, nearly half of the 327 species known in North America, making the state a particularly good place to observe dragonflies in their natural habitats. That diversity comes from geography: the state spans humid pine forests, arid desert basins, coastal marshes, and Hill Country springs, giving different lineages of Odonata room to establish themselves.

Texas dragonflies fall into seven families: Petaltails, Darners, Clubtails, Spiketails, Cruisers, Emeralds, and Skimmers. Of these, skimmers make up the largest family of dragonflies, with over 100 species in North America, which is why six of the eight species covered below belong to the skimmer family Libellulidae. Beyond their good looks, these insects earn their keep: dragonflies are helpful to humans by eating mosquitos, gnats, winged ants, winged termites and other insects that are nuisances, which is why they are also known as “mosquito hawks.”

Species	Family	Typical Habitat	Best Season to Spot
Common Green Darner	Darner	Ponds, lakes, slow streams	Spring through fall
Blue Dasher	Skimmer	Quiet still water	Year-round in warm areas
Widow Skimmer	Skimmer	Open, sunny water edges	Warm months
Roseate Skimmer	Skimmer	Small ponds, ditches	Spring through fall
Twelve-spotted Skimmer	Skimmer	Shorelines, fields nearby	Spring through summer
Flame Skimmer	Skimmer	Hot springs, warm ponds	Warm months
Comanche Skimmer	Skimmer	Hill Country streams, ponds	Late spring to summer
Eastern Pondhawk	Skimmer	Ponds, marshes, rivers	Early spring to late fall

Common Green Darner

The common green darner (Anax junius) ranks among the most widespread and instantly recognizable dragonflies in the state. The Common Green Darner is among the most widespread dragonflies in the United States. Its size alone sets it apart from most skimmers sharing the same ponds.

1. Recognized by its large size and bright green thorax and head, with a blue abdomen in males.
2. Found near ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams across most of Texas.
3. One of the few North American dragonflies known to make long-distance seasonal migrations.
4. Often seen patrolling several feet above open water rather than perching for long stretches.

The species is recognized by its large size and bright green coloring, found near ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams, and it is a migratory species that travels great distances. That migratory habit means green darners can appear in numbers during spring and fall passages, sometimes gathering over open fields far from any water source as they move through on the wind.

Pro Tip: Green darners rarely perch for photos. Watch for them hovering low over open water at dusk, when they slow down to feed on smaller flying insects.

Blue Dasher

The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is the sole member of its genus, a detail that reflects just how distinct its markings are among Texas skimmers. The monotypic genus Pachydiplax is the blue dasher, meaning no other species shares its exact combination of features.

1. Adults measure roughly between 1 to 1.5 inches in length, making them one of the smaller common skimmers.
2. Males showcase a vibrant blue coloration along their bodies, complemented by yellow-striped thoraces and metallic green eyes.
3. Females feature more subdued colors, with brown and yellow striped abdomens and red eyes.
4. This skimmer can be seen year round, with habitat mostly quiet bodies of water.

Blue dashers spend much of the day perched on twigs or rocks at the water’s edge, darting out to snatch passing insects before returning to the same spot. That predictable perching behavior makes the species one of the easier Texas dragonflies to photograph up close, and its year-round presence in warmer parts of the state means there’s rarely a bad month to look for one.

Widow Skimmer

The widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) gets its name from the bold, dark wing patches that give it a somewhat somber appearance in flight, though the pattern is anything but dull up close.

1. Widow skimmers are active during warm months in Texas.
2. Their transparent wings feature bold black patches near the base, with white bands extending toward the tips, creating a striking visual pattern during flight.
3. Look for these dragonflies in open areas near water bodies with plenty of sunlight and available perches, making them relatively easy to spot and photograph.
4. Frequently documented at Central Texas wildflower gardens and nature centers during peak summer activity.

Observers have logged widow skimmers at sites such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, in mid-June, a reminder that well-planted native gardens near water often double as reliable dragonfly-watching spots. Males patrol favored perches aggressively, chasing off rivals with quick, looping flights before settling back down.

Roseate Skimmer

Few Texas insects show off a color as striking as the roseate skimmer’s (Orthemis ferruginea) rose-pink body, a shade that makes it stand out even among the state’s colorful skimmer lineup.

1. The Roseate Skimmer is commonly found across Texas, displaying a striking pink-purple coloration, and its scientific name is Orthemis ferruginea.
2. Males showcase a vibrant reddish-pink body, while females have a more brownish coloration with amber-tinted wings.
3. Roseate skimmers prefer small water bodies with minimal competition from other dragonfly species and thrive near vegetation that provides sturdy perching spots.
4. These agile insects are territorial and actively defend their chosen water sources, though they tend to avoid competition with more aggressive species like the Neon Skimmer.

That habit of avoiding pushier neighbors explains why roseate skimmers often turn up at smaller, quieter ponds and roadside ditches rather than large, busy lakes. It’s a useful clue when trying to narrow down which pink-bodied dragonfly you’re looking at in the field.

Pro Tip: If you see a pink dragonfly defending a small pond aggressively, check the wings for amber tinting first; it’s a quick way to separate females from the similarly colored males.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

The twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella) is a large, boldly patterned dragonfly found across most of the continent, not just Texas. It is a common North American skimmer dragonfly, found in southern Canada and in all 48 of the contiguous U.S. states.

1. It is a large species, at 50 mm (2.0 in) long.
2. Each wing has three brown spots, and in adult males additional white spots form between the brown ones and at the bases of the hindwings, earning it the nickname “ten-spot skimmer.”
3. Males display blue-colored abdomens marked by twelve prominent dark spots on their wings, while females have dark brown bodies and lack the blue coloration.
4. Males often patrol a territory along a shoreline and will chase any type of dragonfly from their territory, with flight typically a combination of hovering and darting.

Because males add white spots as they mature, a young twelve-spotted skimmer can look noticeably different from an older individual patrolling the same shoreline weeks later. Watching the same territory over a season is one of the better ways to see this change play out firsthand.

Flame Skimmer

The flame skimmer (Libellula saturata) lives up to its name with a body and wings washed in warm orange and red tones, a color scheme that pairs oddly well with the hot habitats it favors.

1. The Flame Skimmer’s fiery color matches its habitat preference.
2. These dragonflies are generally found around hot springs or warm ponds in Texas.
3. Flame Skimmers generally hunt from perches on twigs or rocks.
4. Most active during the hottest part of the day, when many other skimmers seek shade.

That tolerance for heat sets the flame skimmer apart from species that retreat to shaded cover once temperatures climb. Spotting one on a mid-afternoon perch, wings catching the sun, is often easier than trying to find shyer species during the same window.

Comanche Skimmer

The Comanche skimmer (Libellula comanche) is a less-discussed member of the skimmer family, but it turns up reliably in Central Texas during its flight season. Taxonomically, it sits in the family Skimmers (Libellulidae), genus Libellula, species comanche, placing it alongside better-known relatives like the widow and twelve-spotted skimmers.

1. Classified within the genus Libellula, the same genus that includes the widow, twelve-spotted, and flame skimmers.
2. Documented at Hill Country sites including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, in mid-June.
3. Shares habitat and flight-season overlap with other Libellula species found in the same ponds.
4. Best distinguished from similar Libellula skimmers through careful comparison of wing markings and abdomen pattern, since several relatives share a similar silhouette.

Because it closely resembles other members of its genus, confirming a Comanche skimmer sighting often takes a side-by-side photo comparison rather than a quick glance. Field guides devoted specifically to the state, such as Dragonflies of Texas, group it alongside its Libellula relatives with matched photo spreads that make the comparison easier.

Eastern Pondhawk

The eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) holds the title of the state’s most frequently encountered dragonfly, a distinction that comes down to how little it needs from its surroundings to thrive. The most common dragonfly species in Texas is the Eastern Pondhawk, recognizable by its vibrant green coloration in males and frequently found near ponds, marshes, and slow-flowing rivers throughout the state.

1. Males display a bright, powdery green body; females and juveniles show a more muted green tone.
2. Eastern Pondhawks can be found throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States.
3. In Texas, they remain active from early spring through late fall, with peak activity during warm summer months.
4. Like other pondhawks, adults frequently perch flat on bare ground or low rocks rather than on tall vegetation.

That ground-perching habit is a genus-wide trait; related pondhawk species show the same behavior, as pondhawks regularly perch on the ground rather than favoring the elevated stems many other skimmers prefer. Combined with its wide habitat tolerance, it’s little wonder the eastern pondhawk shows up in backyard water features as readily as it does in large wetlands.

Pro Tip: If you spot a bright green dragonfly perched flat on the ground rather than on a twig, it’s very likely an Eastern Pondhawk rather than another green-bodied species.

Identifying Texas dragonflies gets easier with practice, especially once the basic family traits, skimmer, darner, and the rest, become familiar. Color, size, wing pattern, and perching habits together narrow down most sightings within a minute or two of observation, even without a field guide in hand. For readers who want to go deeper, the iNaturalist guide to Odonata of Austin and Travis County and the resource list at Texas Entomology both offer additional photos and species accounts worth bookmarking before the next trip to the water’s edge.