The wings are reddish near the body and black or brown near the tips. The naiads are greenish with many brown markings. The abdomen is gray-brown to whitish. Each wing has three brown spots. Females have clear wings.
Males have a milky colour to the wings.
The third type of dragonflies is the 'widow'. Sometimes the Widow has yellow strips on the sides of the body. The half of each wing nearest the body is brown or black. The tips of the wings are a clear or smoky brown colour, especially in females. Widows are slow and easy to catch with nets.