Amberwings

A study of the
Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera)

A small, stocky, golden dragonfly of the Central, Southern and Eastern U.S.. One of the smallest in North America.

The male usually has entirely amber wings with reddish stigma (the small colored area near the tip of the leading edge of the wing). The full and correct name for the stigma is Pterostigma. The female stigma is usually dark with some reddish coloration. In the female the body has similar coloration and the wings lack much amber coloration. The wings in the female will have variable amounts of dark patches. In Southern populations, both sexes often have more spotting.

They usually perch horizontally on the tips of emergent plants usually along the shoreline. Both sexes are considered wasp mimics. When perched, they often move the wings and abdomen up and down in a wasplike manner.

Click on the photos for better looks at their variability.

Female
Note the excessive dark patches and brown stigma.


Female
Dark patches replaced with small amber patches on the hind wing.
Note the two-toned eye.


Male
Fully amber wings and red stigma


Male
Note the chevron markings on the abdomen.


Female
Beautiful example of average coloration.

The old style ABC wednesday is here.
Thanks Denise.

Troy and Martha
Texas Travelers