The Gray Petaltail is one of the largest North American dragonflies, and the Petaltail family is the oldest, most primitive, family of dragonflies in the world. While more common throughout the Southeast US, the Gray Petaltail are uncommon in the Northeast, no longer present in NJ, and only in scattered colonies in New York. This species lives in deep forests with streams and seepages, similar to the Spiketail family. I found this female in Doodletown, NY on the Hudson River, after many hours of looking over several weekends.