The Last Dragons….

Autumn Meadowhawk - Orange County Arboretum - 10/1/25

On Monday afternoon, I drove over to Orange County Arboretum to check out the small pond in search of any dragonflies that might be hanging on. There are some dragonflies (the Green darner for example) that will migrate south in large swarms. The trigger for this is an oncoming killing frost. We have not yet had such an event here in SE New York, but it’s time to keep our eyes open for some of these migrating swarms to appear.

The dragonfly of the day was the Autumn Meadowhawk, a dragonfly species commonly found in North America during the late summer and fall months. Characterized by its vivid red body and translucent wings, this dragonfly often inhabits open meadows, marshes, and ponds where it feeds on small flying insects. Males typically exhibit brighter red coloration, while females and immature individuals may display more muted yellow or brown tones. What drew my attention to these little gems was seeing multiple pairs in tandem, dipping into the shallow water of the pond.

Autumn meadowhawk pair in tandem - OC Arboretum - 10/1/25

Autumn meadowhawks engage in a distinctive mating ritual that typically occurs during the late summer and fall months. Males establish and defend territories where they perform aerial displays to attract females. Once a female approaches, the male grasps her behind the head with claspers at the end of his abdomen, forming a tandem position as seen below. The pair then engages in a wheel formation, allowing the transfer of sperm from the male to the female. After mating, the female oviposits by laying eggs in aquatic vegetation or damp substrates by repeated dipping down into the water with her male companion still conjoined with her.

Note brighter red coloration of the male at the front of this pair…..

The video (which is not my work) below was obtained from YouTube and graphically shows the dipping action of the pair depositing the fertized eggs at the ponds edge. Click the blue box below to see the pair working in tandem to ensure next year’s brood of Autumn meadowhawks.

And so we have yet another sign of the changing seasons. This is the last of the dragonflies to mate and one of the last species we’ll see here in New York until next spring. Time marches on……