Maryland's Wildlife Species Common Dragonflies of In Maryland,
there are 7 main families of dragonflies: River cruisers
(Macromiidae), Emeralds (Corduliidae), and Pond Skimmers
(Libellulidae). This page will focus on several common species.
Petaltails are the most ancient of the dragonflies around today.
Only 11 species exist worldwide, two of which can be found in
the United States. The gray petaltail is the only petaltail
found in Maryland. It is uncommon, and its larvae are semi-
aquatic, making the gray petaltail unique among other
dragonflies (whose larvae are fully aquatic). To learn more
about the gray petaltail, check out its page here. The Darner
family contains some of the largest dragonflies found in North
America and some of the larger dragonflies in the world. The
name ‘darner’ comes from the fact that the female abdomen looks
similar to a sewing needle. These large dragonflies spend most
of their time in the air. Common Green Darner (Anax junius) The
male common green darner has a bright green th