The meadowhawks (genus Sympetrum) are small skimmers of mid-late summer and early fall. Wisconsin hosts 8 species and although most are common, they can be extremely difficult to tell apart, especially without capture. Coloration on the face, legs, and wing veins are important for identification, but even with good photos a conclusive ID may be impossible. In Cherry-faced Meadowhawk, only adult males can be indentified by the red face color. Beware of other red-faced meadowhawks, including Saffron-winged, Autumn, and Variegated, but these lack prominent black triangles on sides of the abdomen. Male Cherry-faced is most like Ruby Meadowhawk, which has dull yellow to yellowish-brown face and black veins along the leading edge of the wings (orange in Cherry-faced). Females and juveniles can NOT be separated visually from White-faced and Ruby Meadowhawks. The Cherry-faced is uncommon in Wisconsin and more regularly found in the north.