Variegated meadowhawk
This meadowhawk breeds in temporary rain puddles as readily as permanent ponds, and migrates across North America instead of staying put like most of its relatives.
| Where | Ponds, streams and open ground |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 43 mm body length |
| When | March to December |
The variegated meadowhawk is a medium sized, chunky dragonfly. Mature males show rectangular red and brown spots along a gray toned abdomen and orange leading edge wing veins, while females and young males are patterned in orange, brown and white instead of red.
Adults perch on bare ground and low twigs near marshy ponds, slow streams and rain puddles, and fly across most of the year in the mildest parts of their range. In much of the north and east the species arrives each year as a migrant rather than overwintering locally.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Red, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Common around ponds and puddles; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The autumn meadowhawk has yellow legs and mostly clear wings with only a small patch of yellow at the base, unlike the variegated meadowhawk's orange tinted leading wing veins and gray brown legs.
Questions
Is the Variegated meadowhawk dangerous to people?
Common around ponds and puddles; harmless to people.
When can you see the Variegated meadowhawk?
The Variegated meadowhawk can be seen from March to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by dhasdf, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Sympetrum
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.