Meadowhawks are very common dragonflies in Minnesota, especially in late summer. They’re usually an inch or inch and a half long and not too flighty, but they are voracious hunters of mosquitoes, so they’re an excellent insect to have around! Mature meadowhawk males are ruby-red, while females and immature males are a golden tan.

Like Meadowhawks, Spotted Touch-Me-Nots appear in mid to late summer. They tend to like the same habitat as poison ivy, which is fortuitous, given that the mashed-up touch-me-not plant can prevent the rash if applied after exposure—a remedy I have made use of many times. Of course, though touch-me-nots often grow near poison ivy, the reverse is also true—poison ivy has a distressing tendency to grow near touch-me-nots.