cardinal meadowhawkSympetrum illotum
Other than the obvious bright red, I was unsure how to identify this dragonfly species. Thanks to my handy little Common Dragonflies of California, I distinguished this from the neon skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) based on the fact this cardinal meadowhawk perches with its wings held down and forward - a trait that definitely caught my eye!
ps 02/20/12 - Jim of Northwest Dragonflier has a recent post about cardinal meadowhawks.
ps 02/20/12 - Jim of Northwest Dragonflier has a recent post about cardinal meadowhawks.
Hi Katie, you've got the ID right. You can see a well-defined white spot on the side of the thorax (there's another one hidden by the wings) which is characteristic of this species. Jim
ReplyDeleteThanks for the confirmation, Jim!
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