Autumn Meadowhawk

The Autumn Meadowhawk is a small member of the skimmer family Libellulidae, part of the meadowhawk group known for perching low and often far from water. It earns its common name from its habit of remaining active later into the year than nearly any other North American dragonfly, sometimes surviving light frosts.

Mature males show the typical rich red meadowhawk coloring, while females and immatures are a soft yellow-brown, but the species is most reliably identified by its legs, which are pale yellowish rather than black like most other meadowhawks.

Found across much of eastern and central North America with populations in parts of the west, the Autumn Meadowhawk is often the only dragonfly still visible along trails and pond edges once cooler weather has grounded other species.

• Small dragonfly with legs that are pale yellow to tan rather than black, a key feature distinguishing it from most other meadowhawks
• Mature males are red across the body; females and immatures are yellowish-brown
• Face and thorax lack strong black markings, giving a relatively plain, unmarked appearance compared to other Sympetrum
• Wings mostly clear with a light amber patch at the base
• Lookalikes: other Sympetrum meadowhawks are similar in size and shape but almost all have black or dark-striped legs

Found across eastern and central North America and locally in parts of the west, the Autumn Meadowhawk breeds in ponds, marshes, bogs, and slow streams, often ones with abundant emergent or shoreline vegetation. Adults commonly bask on sunny paths, wooden fences, and bare ground near water. True to its name, it is active later into fall than almost any other North American dragonfly, with sightings sometimes persisting into November.

Like other meadowhawks, this species perches frequently on the ground or low vegetation in open sunny spots, darting out to snatch small flying insects such as gnats and midges before returning to the same perch. Its tolerance for cool temperatures allows it to remain active on sunny fall afternoons long after most other dragonflies have died off for the season, giving it an important late-season role as a predator of small flying insects. It also becomes an important food source for late-season insect-eating birds preparing for migration.

Adults mate in a wheel formation, and females oviposit in tandem with the male, dipping the abdomen to release eggs over shallow water or damp shoreline vegetation. Eggs typically overwinter, hatching the following spring into aquatic nymphs that develop among submerged plants through the warmer months. Adults usually emerge in mid to late summer and remain on the wing far longer than related species, extending the flight season well into autumn before the final individuals succumb to cold weather.