Erythrodiplax berenice

Both sexes: Both sexes have black legs and often hold their wings cocked downward. Juveniles of both sexes are mostly black with narrow, yellow stripes on the thorax and tail, and brown spots at the base of the wings.

Males: Mature males are small and slender, and all black with no wing spots. The male thorax is dark navy blue to black and gets darker toward the abdomen. The abdomen is slender and black with dull orange spots that fade with age. The wings are clear and unmarked. The eyes are dark brown, and the face is blackish.

Females: The typical thorax of the female and immature male is intricately patterned in narrow orange and black "tiger" stripes with black on the front and sides. The abdomen is mostly orange above and black below. The face is pale with broad black stripes that become nearly dark blue with age. The wings of some females have a large amber patch at the mid-point and  amber at the base while others do not have any wing markings. As females age, they become darker and similar to males in coloring. Females are variable during this transition time; the thorax turns black before the abdomen, and some females may have an amber spot on each wing.

Total length: 11 to 13.8 inches (28 to 35 mm); abdomen: 5.9 to 9 inches (15-23 mm); hindwing: 7.1 to 10.2 inches (18-26 mm)

Similar species: No similar-looking species are found in salt-water habitats.
 

This species is found along the eastern shores of the United States, and in saline lakes in the southwestern United States. It also occurs in the West Indies and Central America south to Venezuela and Trinidad.
 

The seaside dragonlet occurs in salt marshes and mangrove swamps in the eastern United States, and in saline lakes and sinkholes in the southwestern United States. These dragonflys often spend large amounts of time perched on stems and occasionally, flat on the ground. Pairs lay eggs in tandem in algal mats on the surface of salt water, often in large congregations.
 

This species occurs year around in the southern limits of its range. In areas like Texas and Louisiana, adults are active from January to November. In more northerly areas like New Hampshire and Massachusetts, adults can be seen from May to September.