Hudsonian whiteface

Hudsonian whiteface is small skimmer, 1⅛″ to 1¼″ (28 to 32 mm) long. It occurs throughout Canada and in the northern United States from Maine to West Virginia and west to Minnesota, and from Washington to California and east to Colorado. In Minnesota it is most common in the Arrowhead and north-central regions, less common south to the metro area, and absent from the remainder of the state. It is found from early May to mid-August in bogs, fens, sloughs, ponds with emergent vegetation, and lakes with sandy bottoms.

On the male the thorax is black, is densely hairy, and has red markings. The abdomen is black. On the top of abdominal segments 1 through 6 (S1 to S6) there is a wide red spot that is as long or nearly as long as the segment and is often pointed toward the rear. The spot on S7 is smaller and triangular. Occasionally there is a small spot on S8. S9 and S10 are completely black with no spots. The eyes are brown. The face is white but this can be difficult to see at some angles. The legs are black. The wings are mostly clear except for a small dark patch at the base of the hindwings and the stigma at the leading edge of each wing. The veins within the dark patch are light colored on all individuals except vary mature males.

Females and juveniles are similar but their markings are yellow, not red.

Total length: 1⅛″ to 1¼″ (28 to 32 mm)

Dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) is slightly larger. Juveniles have a squarish, not triangular, spot on segment 7 of the abdomen. The dark patch on the hindwing never has pale veins.

Bogs, fens, sloughs, ponds with emergent vegetation, and lakes with sandy bottoms.

Early May to mid-August

Males perch of sedge or grass stems during the day.

The female hovers just above the surface of shallow water near aquatic plants that touch the water surface. She quickly taps the tip of her abdomen onto the water surface to deposit the eggs. The male guards the female as she deposits her eggs.

The naiads live in submerged vegetation. They emerge as adults at night.

Mayfly naiads, mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, freshwater shrimp, small fish, and tadpoles.

Mosquitoes, flies, moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites, and almost any other soft-bodied flying insects.

Sources

18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 7/28/2025).

Common

The dragonflies arrived yesterday. They'll be a big help with the recent black fly problem.

Hudsonian Whiteface
Cory Gregory

Leucorrhinia hudsonica
DocBebitte

Location: Cass County

The dragonflies arrived yesterday. They'll be a big help with the recent black fly problem.