Sympetrum rubicundulum

(Say, 1840)

Ruby Meadowhawk

Sympetrum rubicundulum, the ruby meadowhawk, is a in the skimmer Libellulidae. It occurs in the northern United States and southern Ontario, Canada. males display orange to brown and red bodies, while females share the same facial coloration with brown to dark-red bodies. The is one of several meadowhawks in the Sympetrum that can be challenging to distinguish from .

Sympetrum rubicundulum by (c) Quinten Wiegersma, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Quinten Wiegersma. Used under a CC-BY license.Sympetrum internum P1290814a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Sympetrum internum P1290870b by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Sympetrum rubicundulum: //sɪmˈpiːtrəm ˌruːbɪˈkʌndjʊləm//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

males distinguished by orange to brown combined with red body; females by orange to brown face with brown to dark-red body. Separation from similar meadowhawks requires close attention to facial coloration and body color. Sympetrum internum (cherry-faced meadowhawk), S. obtrusum (white-faced meadowhawk), and S. costiferum (saffron-winged meadowhawk) are noted as similar in the literature.

Images

Appearance

males have orange to brown and red bodies. Females have similarly colored faces but brown to dark-red bodies. Like other Sympetrum , it is a medium-sized with relatively broad wings held horizontally at rest. Specific wing patterning and abdominal markings are not documented in available sources.

Distribution

Northern United States and southern Ontario, Canada. GBIF records indicate presence in North America.

Similar Taxa

More Details

Taxonomic Note

Authority sometimes cited as (Say, 1839) in some databases versus (Say, 1840) in others; this reflects minor discrepancies in source documentation.

Sources and further reading