The Eastern Amberwing is the second smallest dragonfly in North America. Males have red and brown eyes, brownish-tan bodies with pale stripes on the thorax and abdomen, yellowish legs and bright amber wings. Females look similar but they have clear wings with brown and amber wing patches
Males defend a small territory, usually from a perch on a branch or floating vegetation, and chase away the competition, sometimes even grabbing them in tandem and dragging them away. Males may change their territory frequently. When not mating Eastern Amberwing can often be found in fields far from the water, foraging or perching in the grass or trees. On warm days they often point their abdomen towards the sun, in an obelisk position, to minimize the amount of their surface area that is absorbing heat
Still and slow moving waters such as ponds, lakes, roadside ditches and slow-moving streams
Mating is quick and typically takes place perched. Females lay eggs, either in tandem or with male guarding, by tapping their abdomen on algae mats, floating logs, or in the water among vegetation
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Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.