Sympetrum semicinctum occidentale

Uncommon

Late June to late September

Small ponds, shallow marshes.

About 1⅓″ long

This is a small meadowhawk. There are four subspecies, two of which are found in Minnesota.

The thorax is yellow to brown and is covered with brown hairs. There are narrow black lines on the side of the thorax in the form of an irregular W.

On juveniles the abdomen is dark brown with a black lateral stripe on each side. On mature males it is red. Females appear in two forms. On red form females the abdomen is red. On yellow form females it is whitish-yellow. All mature individuals have a black triangular marking on each side of each abdominal segment which, taken together, form a jagged, black line.

The face is yellow to brown.

The legs are black.

The inner third of the forewing is amber. The inner half of the hindwing, from the point of attachment to the wing notch (nodus) is amber. In males and most females, the outer portion of the amber area on the hindwing is darkened, forming a band. The outer portion of both wings is clear except for the dark stigma on the leading edge of each wing.

Eggs are laid among plants emerging from the water at the edges of ponds and in marshes.