Wildlife Around Las Vegas, Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)

Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)
Invertebrates Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas

	General: Variegated Meadowhawks (Sympetrum corruptum) are active daytime fliers often seen in the desert far from water. Males are recognized by the red and olive-brown patterns on the back, and blue-white thoracic stripes with yellow spots on the ventral end. The blue-white stripes on the thorax start with a yellow spot. The wings are clear, except for the two-tone stigma (small yellow and brown patch on the leading edge at the end of the wings). In females, the color pattern is similar, but not as bright. These active creatures are harmless to humans, but they are voracious predators of small flying insects such as flies and mosquitoes.
	Taxonomy: Order Odonata, Suborder Epiprocta, Family Libellulidae. Comments: This is the common dragonfly in the open desert around Las Vegas. If you see a dragonfly a long ways from water, it likely is this species.
	Variegated Meadowhawk; notice the two-tone stigma (black arrow) and yellow spots on the end of the thoracic stripes (yellow arrows).
	Variegated Meadowhawk male; note the bright colors, yellow spots in the thoracic lines, and two-tone stigma.
	Variegated Meadowhawk female; note the muted colors, but it still has a two-tone stigma.
	Variegated Meadowhawks mating

Variegated Meadowhawk male	Variegated Meadowhawk female




	It is unusual to see this species resting on the ground
Blythe, CA	Mating circle
Albuquerque, NM	Bitter Lake NWR, NM
Bitter Lake NWR, NM	Big Bend National Park, TX




Male with few of the usual field marks	Male with few of the usual field marks, but note one yellow spot
Pale female with few of the usual field marks	Pale female with few of the usual field marks
	more to come ...