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Red-veined Meadowhawk - Sympetrum madidum
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
The Red-veined Meadowhawk dragonfly is currently listed as an "S2S3" species of concern in Montana because they are potentially at risk because of limited and/or declining numbers, range and/or habitat, even though it may be abundant in some areas. The extension of their range into eastern Montana will likely remove this species from the list with a new status review.
General Description
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Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
This species occurs from the Northwest Territories of Canada east to Manitoba, extending south into the U.S. to northern California, Idaho, and Montana. In Montana, it was initially only been documented to occur in the southeastern part of the state, but more recent collections have increased its distribution to statewide.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 101
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Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
The Red-veined Meadowhawk prefers shallow, often saline and usually temporary, marshy ponds that often dry up during the summer months, as well as marshy pools in slow streams (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Wetland and Riparian
Alkaline - Saline Wetlands
Alpine Riparian and Wetland
Peatland
Riparian and Wetland Forest
Wet Meadow and Marsh
Food Habits
Larvae feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They will also eat very small fish and tadpoles.
Adult- The dragonfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Red-veined Meadowhawks usually perch in suitable habitat with females. Oviposition is often completed in tandem, but single females with guarding males oviposit near plants in the water or into shallow or dry ponds (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication
Miller, K.B. and D.L. Gustafson. 1996. Distribution records of the Odonata of Montana. Bulletin of American Odonatology 3(4):75-88.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Acorn, J. 2004. Damselflies of Alberta: flying neon toothpicks in grass. Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta Press. 156 pp.
- Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragonflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. New York, NY. Oxford University Press. 266 pp.
- Paulson, D.R. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 535 pp.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Red-veined Meadowhawk"
- Additional Sources of Information Related to "Insects"
