The Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina) is a species of dragonfly

Dragonfly

A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...

 native to eastern North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

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Description

The length of the Carolina Saddlebags measures 45 millimetre. The thorax and basal part of each wing is brown. The eighth and ninth abdominal segments are black. In females, the abdomen and face are brownish red, and the basal part of the forehead is violet. In males, the abdomen and face are bright red, and the entire forehead is violet. Juvenile males resemble females.

Distribution and habitat

The Carolina Saddlebags is found from southern Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

 to Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

 west to Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. It is seem all year in Florida and from May to August in Canada. Its habitats include ponds, lakes, swamps, and streams. It is not found near muddy water.

Behavior

Adults feed in groups from morning till evening, flying 2–7 m (6.6–23 ft) above the ground. They perch on the tips of stems or other objects.