Unlike our other meadowhawk species, the Autumn Meadowhawk has very little black on it's abdomen with little or no black or dark coloration on the abdomen except for a bit of dark smudging on the top and sides of the abdomen near the tip (usually the last 2-3 segments)

Although the name Yellow-legged Meadowhawk was somewhat more descriptive than its current name, the common name was changed to Autumn Meadowhawk because its legs are not always yellow and because it is the meadowhawk species that flies later in the fall than any other.   In fact, here in NB, it is typically the last species of dragonfly to be encountered in the fall, often by several weeks.