Eastern Amberwing
Perithemis tenera
To deter predators, male Eastern Amberwings mimic wasps by fluttering their bright amber wings and mimicking a stinging posture with their abdomens.
- Scientific name
- Perithemis tenera
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Libellulidae › Perithemis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Sunny ponds, slow-moving streams, marshes, and lake margins with abundant emergent vegetation.
- Diet
- Small flying insects, including mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and small flies.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Great Lakes Region, Southern Ontario, Northeastern Mexico
- Size
- Body length of 2.0 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1.0 inches); wingspan of 3.5 to 4.5 cm.
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as flying adults; up to 1 year as aquatic nymphs.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Water pollution, pesticide runoff, and the destruction or clearing of shoreline vegetation.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. These tiny dragonflies do not sting, and their mandibles are too small to bite. They may hover near you to catch mosquitoes or even land on your hand. Observe them closely at any distance; no protective action is necessary.
The eastern amberwing ( Perithemis tenera ) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is very small, reaching a total length of no more than 25 mm. The males have orange or amber wings. Both genders have a red pterostigma. The eastern amberwing dragonfly is one of the only types of dragonfly that actively mimics a wasp. The yellow and brown stripes on its abdomen encourage predators to stay away. When perched, they will wiggle their...
Photo: mayfly1963, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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