This pastel-colored dragonfly took advantage of an unseasonably warm and sunshiny mid-December day to have an excursion. The Variegated Meadowhawk’s subtle beauty speaks for itself, but this expert predator is a traveling marvel.
Yes, this species, Sympetrum corruptum, migrates. Groups of adults fly north to lay eggs in the spring, and end their lives there. The resulting larvae emerge in the fall, and migrate south to spend the winter, and then repeat the pattern.
Some Variegated Meadowhawks may be seen year-round in more temperate areas. Apparently, that includes Eugene in 2025.
A report from Montana, linked below, notes that we still don’t have many details about this dragonfly’s migration, comparing what we know now to the information we had about Monarch butterfly migration 40 years ago. Even though the article is from 2018, I’m sure it’s still true, and that citizen scientists can help fill in some blanks.
Because of the migratory behavior, adults might be seen far from water, even though the young dragonflies live exclusively under the water.
The genus name, Sympetrum, means “with rock,” and likely refers to the fact that this dragonfly is seen on the ground more than others in its family, likely in an effort to absorb heat. This one, in fact, flew up several times, and landed again on the rocky Mount Pisgah trail.
Like many dragonflies, males and females have different coloring, and within sexes, the colors may vary quite a bit. Male Sympetrum corruptum have bright red veins, and females like this one can be gold, tan, blue-gray or pink.
Stay curious!
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Sources:
Well-written description, with a nice photo, of a Variegated Meadowhawk migration: https://www.mtpr.org/arts-culture/2018-08-27/citizen-scientists-can-help-unravel-the-mysteries-of-dragonfly-migration. Accessed 12/17/25.
Article from the Prairie Ecologist, whom I highly recommend following on Instagram: https://prairieecologist.com/2023/09/12/migrant-meadowhawks-signal-seasonal-senescence/. Accessed 12/17/25.
All photos by Karen Richards.