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Photo#339667
cherry-faced meadowhawk - Sympetrum internum - male

cherry-faced meadowhawk - Sympetrum internum - Male
Assaria, Saline County, Kansas, USA
There were 4 pairs of these dragonflies mating in the grass. They were rather small in size. I am wondering if it is the cherry-faced meadowhawk.

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Moved from Dragonflies.

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Moved from ID Request.

hmm
The pairs are showing a bit of a orange wash on the wings and one shows a whiter face, I'd guess that those are Ruby. This one may or may not have the wash and seems to be a bit redder on the face, so it may be a Cherry-faced. If it's not one of the ones that were in tandem, it should be unlinked.

 
thanks Jason
You could be right. I have never seen either the ruby or the cherry-faced before. They were all within a 20 foot radius of each other. I counted 4 pairs, but possibly this was a loner. The activity was very hectic and hard to keep track of them. I have submitted another view of the lone one if that will help for a positive ID. If you agree, I will unlink these two from the others.

 
thanks Jason
I would agree with Jason that the two individuals are male cherry-faced meadowhawks, Sympetrum internum, while the tandem pairs are ruby meadowhawks, Sympetrum rubicundulum. This late in the season it is pretty easy to tell the two apart by the face color, but when less mature it is much more difficult. Three species, internum, rubicundulum, and obtrusum can only be reliably told apart by looking with a hand lens at the hamules in the males and subgenital plates in the females.

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