Red Saddlebags
Tramea onusta
Observed at a small lake near Kearny, Pinal County, Arizona, USA. 19 June 2010.
Libellulidae -- Pond Damselfly Family
A darker splotch at the bases of the wings adjacent to the abdomen gives the appearance that the dragonfly is carryingthe namesake luggage. Small soft-bodied insects like midges form a major part of the diet in the adult phase. The immatures, nymphs, are entirely aquatic and live under water in ponds where they are important predators of aquatic arthropods. The body and the splotch are deep red. Ponds mostly in the upper elevations of the Sonoran Desert.