This could be one of two dragonfly species. They are indistinguishable in a photograph or even in hand, which I do not do. I have decided that it is a Cherry-faced Meadowhawk-Sympetrum internum but cannot be positive.
The other possibility is a Ruby Meadowhawk-Sympetrum rubicundulum. The descriptions for both in my guidebook are identical with one exception. Adult S. rubicundulum is generally found hunting far from water and S. internum is found in wet meadows which is where I made this photograph. The odds therefore are in my favor but I could still be wrong. 🙂
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Beautiful! lovely, lovely red 🙂
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They really catch your attention among all the green which by chance is their complementary color. Thanks, Liz!
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Whichever it is, it’s beautiful. Recognising the different species of creatures can be so difficult. I’m trying to learn the difference between bee species here.
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To bee, or not to bee, that is the question.
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As Mike pointed out on Facebook, the creature itself is beautiful and the name is only of first importance to science and lay enthusiasts. For the sake of beauty the name matters not. Good luck with bees. I’ve been photographing quite a few of them but have not put in a very good effort at learning the keys.
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Cherry and ruby: both common names and scientific names often resort to metaphors.
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Well, ruby and cherry are good names but I think “Ruby, don’t take your love to town” sounds better than “Cherry”. Of course that just might be because of the familiarity with the title.
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Don’t forget “Cherry, Cherry”! I’d take that song over “Ruby” any time.
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“Cherry, Cherry” is certainly more cheery.
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Your reasoning is good, and it often comes down to location. That’s a nice image of the dragonfly on the dewy saw-tooth leaf.
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There are certain field marks but in some cases only dissection or a look through a microscope tells the tale. I don’t like to have too much effect on their lives so unless the camera can capture enough info to ID then I am satisfied with something more general.
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Whatever the species, this is a stunning photo, Steve. I always like to come upon red dragonflies, they are a little bit more noticeable to me as they go zipping by.
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Thanks, Jet! That red is hard to miss, even in a large meadow. Usually I catch their motion but it is still hard to pick them out among ail the grasses…unless they are red. 🙂
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This is a beauty. I don’t remember seeing a red dragonfly, although I’ve seen a few Roseate Skimmers. I do see damselflies with bits of red from time to time, and they’re pretty, too.
Recently, I’ve been finding quite large and quite dead dragonflies on the boats. They’re showing up only occasionally, but I’ve never seen them before. I laughed yesterday when I tossed one over the side; a fish grabbed it as soon as it hit the water.
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It’s not surprising that a fish grabbed the dragonfly, dead or alive. Fishing lures…flies…are usually other species but I guess if a fisherman caught a dragonfly that would make a great bit of bait and, of course, he or she could make an artificial one and dap away.
I occasionally find dead dragonflies in my workshop. Usually they have got caught between the sheer curtain and window and starve there. They figure out how to get behind them to attempt to get out the window but never figure out that they can’t. I wonder if fish would eat them if I dropped them in the nearby brook.
We have a number of species of dragonflies that are red, usually it is one gender with the other not as brightly colored.
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I often struggle with identification and sometimes just post something along the lines of “here’s a dragonfly!” 🙂 Very beautiful photo, though, with a great transition between the nicely focused insect and the layered green background.
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I am a little fussy about telling folks what they are seeing. It would be a lot easier and less time consuming to not but it is a good learning experience to nail the ID. Thanks, Todd. I was indeed very happy with the perch.
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I’m going to go with “beauty.” Those wings – the lack of blotches or spots makes them appear so delicate.
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When it comes down to it, beauty is the best description. Nature doesn’t care for names. 🙂 Thanks, Lynn!
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Nice Steve! Very colorful on the green leaf! Really stands out!
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Thanks, Reed!
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