Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly – Perithemis tenera

I find this lovely dragonfly most often on ponds versus moving water. The ethereal amber color of the wings is not adequately apparent in photographs – it must be seen live to be appreciated. Unfortunately, the eastern amberwing is among the wariest of dragonflies. They usually perch only over water.

Dragonflies are completely harmless – they do not sting or bite. Indeed, they are beneficial in the same respect spiders and other predators are beneficial – they keep the burgeoning insect population in check. Many of these species prey on each other; I often see dragonflies with damsels in their clutches.

Dragonflies are among the most ancient of living creatures. Fossil records, clearly recognizable as the ancestors of our present day odonates, go back to Carboniferous times which means that the insects were flying more than 300 million years ago, predating dinosaurs by over 100 million years and birds by some 150 million.

Order Odonata: dragonflies and damselflies date back 300 million years, to the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era. These colorful, enchanting insects are revered second only to the butterflies in the popular psyche. Explore detailed close-up photographs of live, adult dragonflies and damselflies photographed in the wild. Insects | Odonata Index | Dragonflies | Damselflies | Bugs Index | Spiders