General: White-faced Meadowhawk Dragonflies (Sympetrum obtrusum) are active daytime fliers. Males are recognized by the overall red color, white face, and clear wings. The stigma is bi-colored (darker in the center), and there are black marks on the side of the abdomen. Females are similar, except yellow-orange where males are red.

These active creatures are harmless to humans, but they are voracious predators of small flying insects such as flies and mosquitoes. There are some good places for Watching Dragonflies Around Las Vegas.

Taxonomy: Order Odonata, Suborder Anisoptera, Family Libellulidae.

Where to find: Don't look for White-faced Meadowhawks around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them in more northern and eastern locations such as Northern California, Utah, and Colorado. Based on reported locations, this species ought to occur in Nevada.