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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Meadowhawks (Sympetrum) » Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)

Species Sympetrum vicinum - Autumn Meadowhawk

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Yellow legged Meadow Hawk, juvenile male 2/2 - Sympetrum vicinum - male

Autumn Meadowhawk Macro - Sympetrum vicinum - female

Dragonfly ID? - Sympetrum vicinum - female

dragonfly_skimmer_meadowhawk - Sympetrum vicinum

Meadowhawk ID please.......... - Sympetrum vicinum

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder Anisoptera (Dragonflies)

Family Libellulidae (Skimmers)

Genus Sympetrum (Meadowhawks)

Species vicinum (Autumn Meadowhawk)

Other Common Names

Formerly called Yellow-legged Meadowhawk.

Numbers

One of 15 species in the genus.

Size

adult body length 26-35 mm

Identification

All red or yellow, typically lacking defined spots or bands (1). Small.

Range

Eastern U.S. except Florida and Louisiana; parts of southern Canada; Great Plains states; Oregon, Washington, and parts of California.

Habitat

Marshes, lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams. Usually associated with woodlands.

Season

Primarily late in the summer; often the last species to be seen in a given area. Rarely recorded in December in Massachusetts(2), more commonly flying into November.

Food

Adults feed on small flying insects.

Nymphs prey on aquatic invertebrates.

Print References

(3)

Internet References

E-Nature.com live adult image [by Sidney Dunkle, Texas] plus common name reference [Yellow-legged Meadowhawk] and other info

Dragonflies and Damselflies of West Virginia live adult images plus common name reference [Autumn Meadowhawk], description, and other info (Stephen Cresswell, West Virginia)

Works Cited

1.	Dragonflies of Texas A Field Guide. John C. Abbott. 2015. University of Texas Press, Austin. 466 pp.

2.	Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts Blair Nikula, Jennifer L. Loose, Matthew R. Burne. 2003. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

3.	Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America Sidney W. Dunkle. 2000. Oxford Press.

Contributed by Stephen_WV on 12 May, 2004 - 10:52pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Vox Sciurorum, Tyler Hedlund
Last updated 19 April, 2020 - 2:48pm

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