Eastern Amberwing

The Eastern Amberwing is among the smallest dragonflies found in North America, a diminutive member of the skimmer family Libellulidae that nonetheless is easy to identify thanks to its distinctive coloring. Males have wings washed entirely in warm amber-orange, while females have clear wings marked with a scattering of small brown spots.

Despite its tiny size, the male Eastern Amberwing is a highly territorial insect, defending small patches of floating algae or vegetation against rival males for hours at a time. Females are notable for their wasp-like appearance and behavior, including a habit of wagging the abdomen up and down, which is thought to help them resemble a stinging wasp and discourage predators.

Common across the eastern and central United States, this species is often found in good numbers along the shorelines of ponds and slow streams with abundant algae mats.

• Very small dragonfly, among the tiniest in North America
• Males have wings entirely tinted amber-orange; females have clear wings with scattered small brown spots
• Body short and stocky compared to most dragonflies, with a brownish thorax and abdomen
• Females often wag the abdomen in a wasp-like motion, aiding identification of behavior alongside appearance
• Lookalikes: few other North American dragonflies combine such small size with solid amber wings in males, making this species relatively distinctive once size is considered

Found throughout the eastern and central United States and into parts of Canada, the Eastern Amberwing breeds in ponds, lake margins, and slow-moving streams that have algae mats or floating vegetation for egg-laying. Adults are usually seen low over the water's surface near shore, active from late spring through summer in most of its range.

Male Eastern Amberwings defend small territories over patches of floating algae, perching nearby and driving off rival males, sometimes with elaborate wing-displaying flights to attract females. Adults hunt tiny flying insects such as small flies and gnats close to the water's surface. The wasp-like abdomen-wagging behavior and body shape of females are thought to serve as a form of mimicry that may help deter predators, an example of the varied defensive strategies found among small insects.

After mating, the female lays eggs alone, tapping her abdomen against floating algae or wet vegetation at the water's surface while the male often continues to guard the territory from a nearby perch. Eggs hatch into small aquatic nymphs that live among algae and debris, feeding on tiny invertebrates as they grow through several molts. The nymph stage is relatively short for a dragonfly, allowing the Eastern Amberwing to produce more than one generation during a single warm season in parts of its range.