Cardinal Meadowhawk

Description:

The face is pale brown but becomes bright red in front and on top in mature males. The thorax is brown with two oblique, abbreviated or interrupted, white spots laterally. In mature adults only the rounded lower end of these spots remain conspicuous. The wings are diffused with yellow out to the level of the nodus and there are one or two darker brown streaks extending at least to the first antenodal crossvein in the subcostal and or cubital areas of the wings. The legs are reddish brown. The abdomen is dark brownish red and parallel-sided for most of its length. The caudal appendages red. The subgenital plate of the female is emarginate and extends beyond the posterior margin of segment 8 by half the length of that segment.

Habitat:

This male dragonfly was spotted on a grape leaf in my backyard.