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Photo#435391
skimmer near capital square, madison, wisconsin - Sympetrum

skimmer near capital square, madison, wisconsin - Sympetrum
Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA
July 31, 2010
Size: 3 inches length
Libellulidae

Moved
Moved from Dragonflies.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Not sure but probably ...
Ruby Meadowhawk. The Yellow-legged would have yellow legs, and I think you can see just enough of the face to rule out White-faced, since this appears to be a fully developed male. Cherry-faced here in NE Illinois show a bright red face, and I don't usually see them until a bit later in the year.

Sympetrum
This is a male meadowhawk (Sympetrum). These guys are very tough to identify. This guy is probably either Cherry-faced, Ruby, White-faced, or possibly Jane's (however, many do not consider this a distinct species).

A photo of the male's hamule is needed to an attempt at identification.


Perhaps a Meadowhawk
I'm a beginner with dragonflies, but I would try the Meadowhawk (Sympetrum) family. Perhaps Cherry-Faced (S. internum), White-Faced (S. obtrusum), Ruby (S. rubicundulum), or Yellow-legged (S. vivinum).

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