Yesterday (13 October) I spotted my first Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) of the season during a visit to Occoquan Bay National WIldlife Refuge. This dragonfly species is generally the last one to disappear and in some past years I have spotted Autumn Meadowhawks as late as December.
Autumn Meadowhawks are relatively small dragonflies—a bit over an inch in length (26-35 mm)—and have bright red bodies, as you can see in this image that I captured yesterday. They are somewhat similar in appearance to to Blue-faced Meadowhawks, another autumn species that also have red bodies, but their eyes and “faces” are different colors—Blue-faced Meadowhawks have blue eyes and, as their name suggests, bluish faces, while Autumn Meadowhawks have brown eyes and tannish faces.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
It’s so good to be here and learn, Mike. The photo is amazing, as always! I loved learning the differences~ and how amazing the detail our Creator places in the tiniest of faces! I love blue, but the face of this one is beautiful too! Many blessings!
Terrific shot, Mike! And he’s red!Blue Rock HorsesFrederick County, Virginiabluerockhorses.comOn Oct 14, 2026,