Eastern Amberwing, perched

Perithemis tenera

Eastern Amberwing · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 26 July 2026

A female Eastern Amberwing settled on a burnet spike with the wings dropped forward, in the July border at the Botanic Garden. At barely an inch long it is one of the smallest dragonflies in North America, a species of ponds and gardens across the East, and easy to take for a wasp until it flies.

The male's wings are solid amber; hers are clear with brown blotches, and the short, stout body banded in brown and yellow is the wasp mimicry the species is known for. The maroon flowerheads it is gripping are great burnet, which smells faintly of cucumber when crushed - nothing to do with the dragonfly, but a reliable way to confirm the plant in the field.