As it gets colder out, less and less insect life is out and about. One conspicuous exception is this awesome little dragonfly, which is present long after Summer species have reproduced and died.

This is a slender, pale, late-flying species. It has minimal black markings and the wings are slightly amber at the bases. Males and some mature females have brilliant red abdomens. In younger individuals, the abdomen is brown.

The Autumn Meadowhawk is widely distributed throughout much of North America, where it inhabits marshes, lakes, ponds and bogs in areas that are usually somewhat wooded.

Dragonflies have highly developed sight. Their large, compound eyes are used to capture prey. Insects are their main food, which their catch while flying. Dragonflies help control fly and mosquito popupaltions.

Because of the cooler weather, this species is easier to approach than most other dragonflies. It can ofen be spotted on tree trunks and utilizes the solar-collector-like surfaces of fallen leaves to warm itself.

Usually the last dragonfly of the year, Autumn Meadowhawks routinely survive the first frosts and even the first snow falls.

Third Eye Herp
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Even though it’s November, I’m still seeing a fair number of dragonflies when I go hiking. Most are Autumn Meadowhawks. Their common name refers to the late flight season of this species. This insect lives in a variety of habitats, including marshes, bogs, ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams.

These are small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in the North America. Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter and even mate in mid-air. Dragonflies catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their feet.

Nearly all of the dragonfly’s head is made up of its eyes, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle, except right behind them. Each compound eye contains as many as 30,000 lenses. A dragonfly uses about 80% of its brain to process all this visual information.

At this time of year when insect life if nowhere near as plentiful as it was a few months ago, seeing one of these brightly colored creatures is a welcome encounter.

Third Eye Herp
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