Red saddlebags
Tramea onusta
The red saddlebags is a dragonfly with clear wings, red veins and a dark red patch at the base of its back wings. In flight those patches look like saddlebags hanging on a horse. The male's body is bright red.
Lives in
North America south of San Francisco and the Great Lakes, Central America and the Caribbean
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies have no sting. A big one may nip if you hold it, so just watch it fly.
What does it eat?
It catches winged insects in the air.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
Red saddlebags about 40 km/h (25 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
Its back wings are extra broad, which lets it glide for hours without getting tired.
2
It is often seen gliding over lawns, parks and gardens on sunny days.
3
Females are light brown or pale orange instead of red.
4
It lives as far south as Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.
you asked
Most asked questions about Red saddlebags
?Why is it called red saddlebags?
Because the dark red patches on its back wings look like saddlebags when it flies.
?What do red saddlebags eat?
Mostly flying insects, which it catches in the air.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Tramea onusta
- Group
- Dragonflies and damselflies
- Family
- Libellulidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Red-mantled saddlebags
Where the facts come from
- Red-mantled saddlebags (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by (c) Jessica, some rights reserved (CC BY). CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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