Dragonfly enthusiasts! bug experts! help!?

Question

what is the name of this dragonfly? I went to a forest preserve with my family and I found a spot where there were many dragonflies, and after finally (they kept flying away whenever i got too close) getting close to one this is the one I took a picture of.

http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/1396/dsc01394kr7.jpg

Answer 1

Common_whitetail

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...

Where found: The Common Whitetail or Long-tailed Skimmer is a common dragonfly across much of North America.

Description: The male's chunky white body (about 5 cm long), combined with the brownish-black bands on its otherwise translucent wings, give it a checkered look. Females have a brown body, and are less noticeable, though they have a similar wing pattern. The Common Whitetail can be seen hawking for mosquitoes and other small flying insects over ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers in most regions except the higher mountain regions.