Autumn Meadowhawk

Autumn Meadowhawk

Sympetrum vicinum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

312 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
124 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Autumn Meadowhawk

Sympetrum vicinum, the Yellow-Legged Meadowhawk, is one of some fifteen North American species of autumn meadowhawk, which are dragonflies in the Libellulidae family. It grows to 26–35 mm long. This species has a small naiad, with a length of 12 to 15 mm (0.47 to 0.59 in). It is mottled green and brown in color. The abdomen has several large hooks along the top, and the last two abdominal segments have a single, large, rear-facing spine on each side. This species has bigger eyes than other members of the genus.

This is a small dragonfly, with a length of 30 to 35 mm (1.2 to 1.4 in). The wings are mostly clear but have a small patch of yellowish to orange clouding at the base of each hindwing. Mature males are brownish black on the face and thorax and have a red abdomen, while immature males have a yellow thorax and a yellowish brown abdomen. Females have a brown thorax and a brownish-red abdomen. As its common name implies, the legs of the adults are yellow.

This dragonfly is found in and around marshes, ponds and slow-moving streams throughout the eastern United States, southern Canada, the Great Plains, and the west... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Autumn Meadowhawk in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Autumn Meadowhawk sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 312 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 672 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Autumn Meadowhawk in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

September

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Autumn Meadowhawk in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in December to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Autumn Meadowhawk?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Autumn Meadowhawk sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see an Autumn Meadowhawk?

Yes

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Autumn Meadowhawk sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Montreal (Canada, about 10%) and Boston (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Autumn Meadowhawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Autumn Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (312 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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