Nebraska Dragonflies and Damselflies

Ruby Meadowhawk

Sympetrum rubicundulum

Say, 1839

Both sexes of the Ruby Meadowhawk have yellow to brown faces, brown to dark red abdomens, black legs and dark wing veins. Some western individuals have a large area of amber color at the base of the wings. This species is very similar to the Cherry-faced and White-faced Meadowhawk, but this species and Cherry-faced Meadowhawks almost always have a large orangishbasal patch that can reach half way out the wing. White-faced Meadowhawks have only a very small orangish patch at the base of the wings.

It is a common eastern and slightly northern species mostly absentsouth and north of Nebraska in Kansas and South Dakota, and there isonly one record from eastern Wyoming. It is present in all the northerncounties of Nebraska but absent from the southern tier ofcounties.

Green indicates accepted county record (specimen or photograph).
Yellow indicates sight record only.