Sympetrum ambiguum

Sympetrum ambiguum, the blue-faced meadowhawk, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. Its aqua blue face, which turns green or turquoise after death, may not be obvious to a casual observer but is an important field mark that separates it from similar-looking meadowhawks in the genus Sympetrum, such as Sympetrum vicinum. It is a small dragonfly that reaches a maximum total length of 38 millimetres. The thorax is grayish or olive brown. A mature male has a bright red abdomen with black stripes, while females and juveniles stay brown, and both sexes have six black rings on the abdomen. Adults can be found from summer through fall in the Midwest of North America close to water sources.