Band-winged meadowhawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sympetrum semicinctum |
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| Band-winged meadowhawk | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Phylum: | |
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| Family: |
Libellulidae
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| Genus: |
Sympetrum
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| Species: |
S. semicinctum
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| Binomial name | |
| Sympetrum semicinctum (Say, 1839)
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The band-winged meadowhawk is a cool type of dragonfly. Its scientific name is Sympetrum semicinctum. It belongs to a group of dragonflies called Sympetrum and is part of the Libellulidae family, also known as skimmer dragonflies.
Contents
Where Do They Live?
This dragonfly lives all across Canada and the United States. You can find them from one coast to the other! They are found in many states and provinces.
What Kind of Home Do They Like?
Band-winged meadowhawks like to hang out in certain places. You can often spot them resting on plants. They prefer the edges of meadows, weedy ponds, and marshes. They also live near lakes, and sometimes even in hills or mountains.
What Do They Look Like?
Band-winged meadowhawks are medium-sized dragonflies. They can be about 2.8 to 3.6 centimeters (1.1 to 1.4 inches) long. Their wings can spread out about 4.5 to 5.5 centimeters (1.8 to 2.2 inches).
Male Dragonflies
Male band-winged meadowhawks are quite striking.
- Their main body part, called the abdomen, is bright red.
- It has black marks on the lower sides.
- There are also black marks on the top of segments 8 and 9, making a U-like shape.
- Their chest area, called the thorax, is reddish-brown.
- The sides of the thorax have three uneven black stripes.
- Their face and eyes are a dark red color.
- Their legs are black.
- The back wings have a rusty patch near where they connect to the body. This patch covers about one-third of the wing.
- Their front wings are mostly clear.
- A small, colored spot on their wing, called the Pterostigma, is reddish-black.
Female Dragonflies
Female band-winged meadowhawks look a bit different.
- They are usually greenish-yellow or orange.
- Their eyes are red over green.
- They have more black marks on their abdomen than males.
- Older females can sometimes turn red, just like the males.
- Young males are yellow, similar to females. They slowly change to their red color as they grow up.
How Do They Live?
Band-winged meadowhawks are active for a long time. They fly from April all the way to mid-October. But you'll see them most often in the late summer.
What Do They Eat?
Adult band-winged meadowhawks are hunters. They eat small, soft-bodied insects that fly.
How Do They Have Babies?
After a male and female mate, the female lays her eggs. She often flies with the male still attached. She dips the tip of her abdomen into the water to lay the eggs.
What About the Babies?
The baby dragonflies are called larvae. They live in plants underwater. These larvae are also hunters! They eat many different water insects. This includes mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, and other fly larvae. They also eat small fish and tadpoles.
