About Perithemis tenera (Say, 1840)
The eastern amberwing, scientifically named *Perithemis tenera* (Say, 1840), is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae. It is extremely small, reaching a total length of no more than 25 millimetres (0.98 in). Males have orange or amber wings that likely contain pheomelanin, and both sexes have a red pterostigma. It occurs in eastern North America, ranging from northern Mexico north to south-eastern Canada; its range also extends well westward into the central United States, despite its common name referencing its eastern distribution. It is one of the only dragonfly types that actively mimics wasps: yellow and brown stripes on its abdomen discourage predators, and when perched it wiggles its abdomen and wings in a wasp-like manner to deter predation. Males have an elaborate courtship ritual: when a female enters his territory, he leads her to his chosen egg-laying site and hovers above it with whirring wings and a raised abdomen. Its scientific species name *tenera* means delicate, and this name alludes to its small size.
