Variegated Meadowhawk

This is a small to medium-sized dragonfly (but large for this genus) with a length of 1 5/8 to 1 11/16 inches (39 to 42 mm). The abdomen is quite slender. Mature males have a base color of dark brownish black. Each side of the thorax may be marked with a pair of yellow spots. The abdomen is marked with an eye-catching pattern of red, pink, and golden brown. The leading edges of the wings have pinkish wing veins. Mature females are marked similarly but with less red. Immature males and females are much paler in color and are mottled with pale green, pale yellow, golden brown, and orange. The leading edges of the wings have brownish or "regular" (non-colored) veins.