White-faced Meadowhawk

Sympetrum obtrusum

The White-faced Meadowhawk is a small dragonfly with a bright red body and a white face. They are often found resting on plants near water, where they hunt for tiny insects.

Lebensraum: Wetlands

Aussehen

The White-faced Meadowhawk has a distinctive bright white face, especially in males, contrasting with its otherwise vibrant red body. Females are typically yellow-brown, but can also show some red as they mature. Their clear wings make their body colors stand out strikingly.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungOdonataFamilieLibellulidaeGattungSympetrum

White-faced Meadowhawk

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A dragonfly's huge eyes can have up to 30,000 tiny lenses, making them incredible hunters.

Before becoming an adult, they live underwater for months, breathing with gills like a fish!

Dragonflies were among Earth's very first winged insects, flying over 300 million years ago!

Their transparent wings beat independently, allowing them to perform amazing aerial stunts.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

White-faced Meadowhawks have huge compound eyes that give them nearly 360-degree vision, helping them spot tiny prey from far away.

White-faced Meadowhawks can fly forwards, backwards, hover, and turn on a dime, making them expert hunters in the air.

Their young (naiads) are fierce underwater predators, snatching other aquatic creatures with a special extendable jaw.

White-faced Meadowhawks can quickly warm their bodies by basking in the sun, powering up their muscles for speedy flight.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 45-55 mm
Größe: 29-36 mm
Lebenserwartung: 30-60 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 25 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

These speedy hunters keep bug populations in check by eating tiny flying insects!

Altersunterschiede: Young White-faced Meadowhawks (naiads) hunt aquatic insects and tadpoles underwater; adults catch flying insects in the air.

Hauptnahrung

Mosquitoes
Midges
Small flies
Gnats
Small moths

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Yellow fever mosquito

Aedes aegypti

Adults catch mosquitoes mid-air.

hunts

Common midge

Chironomus plumosus

A primary food source for adult dragonflies.

eaten by

American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Large frogs prey on adult dragonflies.

eaten by

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

Birds often snatch dragonflies from the air or perches.

eaten by

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Fish frequently eat dragonfly naiads underwater.

Merkmale

Luftbewohnend

Luftbewohnende Tiere verbringen einen erheblichen Teil ihres Lebens in der Luft und nutzen den Flug für verschiedene Aktivitäten wie Jagd, Wanderungen oder Nestbau.

Farbenfroh

Farbenfroh beschreibt Organismen oder Objekte, die eine große Vielfalt an leuchtenden und deutlich erkennbaren Farben aufweisen.

Insektenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Organismen, deren Nahrung hauptsächlich aus Insekten und anderen kleinen Wirbellosen besteht.

Feuchtgebiet

Dieses Lebensraummerkmal kennzeichnet Arten, die in Feuchtgebieten vorkommen. Dies sind Landflächen, die dauerhaft oder saisonal mit Wasser gesättigt sind, darunter Marschland, Sümpfe und Moore.