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Perithemis tenera

Perithemis tenera

Ambarina del Este

Family: Libellulidae
Order: Odonata
Class: Insecta
Phylum / Division: Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

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Synonyms: Perithemis mooma.





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Records from Uruguay


Description


The eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is very small, reaching a total length of no more than 25 mm. The males have orange or amber wings, which likely contain pheomelanin. Both sexes have a red pterostigma. It is found in eastern North America, from northern Mexico north to south-eastern Canada.

The eastern amberwing dragonfly is one of the only types of dragonfly that actively mimics a wasp. The yellow and brown stripes on its abdomen encourage predators to stay away. When perched, they wiggle their abdomen and wings in a wasp-like fashion to deter other animals from eating it. Males have an elaborate courtship ritual. When a female approaches his territory, the male will lead her to his selected egg-laying site and hover above it with wings whirring and abdomen raised.

The common name refers to its eastern range, although this dragonfly does extend westward well into the central part of the United States. The scientific name, tenera, means delicate and alludes to its small size.

Source: Wikipedia, article Perithemis tenera. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 15/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 480082
  Adult

Punta Ballena
Maldonado
Uruguay
01/22/2022
Daniela Lowe
Foto
Photography ID: 480081
  Adult

Punta Ballena
Maldonado
Uruguay
01/22/2022
Daniela Lowe
Foto
Photography ID: 480080
  Adult

Punta Ballena
Maldonado
Uruguay
01/22/2022
Daniela Lowe
Foto
Photography ID: 441532
  Adult

Maldonado
Maldonado
Uruguay
04/14/2021
Emilio Lessa
Foto
Photography ID: 441531
  Adult

Maldonado
Maldonado
Uruguay
04/14/2021
Emilio Lessa
Foto
Photography ID: 399653
  Adult

Playa Penino
San José
Uruguay
03/06/2019
Guillermo Menéndez
Foto
Photography ID: 319590
  Adult

Termas de Arapey
Salto
Uruguay
02/27/2019
Mauricio Silvera
Foto
Photography ID: 199371
  Adult

Ruta 12
Maldonado
Uruguay
01/09/2017
Daniela Lowe



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Species reports



 Detail of places sorted by number of records








Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
153761622/01/2022UruguayMaldonadoArea cercana a ruta12 y Laguna del Sauce, Punta BallenaDaniela Lowe
139496014/04/2021UruguayMaldonadoPunta del Este, MaldonadoEmilio Lessa
124596906/03/2019UruguaySan JoséPlaya PeninoGuillermo Menéndez
89196027/02/2019UruguaySaltoTermas de ArapeyMauricio Silvera
56658909/01/2017UruguayMaldonadoCampos cercanos a la ruta 12, Ruta 12Daniela Lowe
Page 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Perithemis tenera – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 23/09/2026.