Cherry-faced meadowhawk dragonfly

Cherry-faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum) at Munson Pond, Kelowna.
Inset:  White-faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum)- a similar species

The young meadowhawk adult is dark brown in colour; the red tail and face come as it matures into adulthood.  The adult looks similar to other meadowhawk dragonflies.  You can see the inset above where the white-faced species looks similar to the cherry-faced meadowhawk, except for the colour of the face.  The former is true for only males, while the latter is true for both sexes.

In Canada, there are approximately 154 species of dragonfly.  They belong to several different different groups, including clubtails, darners, and skimmers.  In the family Libellulidae (skimmers), there is the genus Sympetrum (meadowhawks).  Many red dragonflies belong to this subgroup.  So, if you happen to see a red dragonfly on your travels, you can announce with pride, "That's a meadowhawk!"

Meadowhawks are commonly found on open meadows and are often seen in the prairies near bodies of stagnant or slow moving water.  Unlike other dragonflies that lay there eggs directly in the water, meadowhawks lay their eggs on muddy banks or low on aquatic vegetation above the waterline.  It is common to see them perching on the ground.  As adults, they may venture far from the body of water in which they spawned.

All dragonflies are heavy predators of insect pests like mosquitoes, both as aquatic nymphs and adults.  Whether meadowhawk or darner, clubtail or spiketail, they are all important.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com