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Sticker of Cardinal meadowhawk
Bug card No. 0794 of 4,939

Cardinal meadowhawk

Sympetrum illotum
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The cardinal meadowhawk is a dragonfly from the Americas. It belongs to the skimmer family, dragonflies that like to perch and then dart out after flying insects. Like all dragonflies, it starts life under water.

Lives in
North and South America, including Caribbean islands, near ponds and streams
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies do not sting.
What does it eat?
It catches small flying insects in the air. Its young hunt little water animals.
For real!Photo of Cardinal meadowhawk
Picture by ALAN SCHMIERER. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Scientists say it is not in danger, and the number of cardinal meadowhawks is steady.

2

There are three slightly different kinds of it in different places.

3

It lives on some islands in the Caribbean Sea too.

you asked

Most asked questions about Cardinal meadowhawk

?Is the cardinal meadowhawk dangerous?

No. Dragonflies are harmless to people and do not sting.

?Where does the cardinal meadowhawk live?

In North and South America and on some Caribbean islands, near water.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Sympetrum illotum
Named by
Hagen, 1861
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Libellulidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
Lives on
North America, South America

Where the facts come from

  1. Sympetrum illotum (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by ALAN SCHMIERER. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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