2024 September 9

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  On Friday Sepember 6 at McIntyre reservoir the numbers of dragonflies and butterflies have greatly decreased   However, I was surprised to find a red dragonfly at 5.30 pm perched on a stick overhanging the reservoir.

There was
1 Cabbage White butterfly
1 Blue-eyed Darner
1 Paddle-tailed Darner
1 Cardinal Meadowhawk
2 Blue Dasher

   Of the red dragonfly mentioned by Marie,  Dr Rob Cannings writes:  This is a female Cardinal Meadowhawk. Note the heavy body, brown legs, brown streaks at the base of the wings. This species has a variable amount of yellow on the wings. The species normally oviposits by dipping the tip of the abdomen directly in the water while flying — alone or in tandem with the male. This looks more like it’s cleaning the tip of the abdomen, although I haven’t seen this behaviour before and I’m not sure that’s what’s happening.

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy