Hello There

This little lady, an Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) really like a patch of grass where I was photographing some Anglefruit Milkweed (Matelea gonocarpa) flowers. If I moved close, she’d fly off a little way, circle around and then return to the same area. Finally I used my ‘patented’ method of holding the camera at arms length to get close up shots.

Here she is. She blends in well with her surroundings.

Here she is again. Up close, Isn’t she sweet. As long as you're not a fly.
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Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)
- BugGuide: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) [Male] [Female]

Related posts:
- Dragonfly: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Nom

We took a field trip to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center yesterday. It was quite windy and dragonfly activity was low at most sites except at Whitetail Lake where male Eastern Pondhawks (Erythemis simplicicollis) were thick and jostling for real estate along the dam shore.

The shore along the dam at Whitetail Lake.

This male Eastern Pondhawk has caught a red and black beetle and is settling in to enjoy his meal.

A closer view. This and the following photograph were taken using a macro setting and holding the camera at arms length as I move slowly closer, focus and shoot.

And an even closer view. Nom.

It’s interesting that male Eastern Pondhawks in this area (Jasper County, GA) are uniformly gray rather than exhibiting the blue-green thorax and upper abdomen exhibited by males at home (Walton County, GA). The characteristics that differentiate the male Eastern Pondhawks from the Slaty Skimmers (Libellula incesta) which are still present in this area and look similar in bright sunlight, are the blue-green eyes, bright green ‘nose’, and clear wings with brown segments near the ends of the front side of the forewings.
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Identification resources:
- Bug Guide: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) [male] [female]
- Dragonflies of Georgia: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Dragonfly: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

The Eastern Pondhawk is another of my favorite dragonflies. Most of the larger dragonflies that, when disturbed, fly in long circuits before returning to a favorite perch. In contrast, the Eastern Pondhawk may just calmly fly a short distance – often just a foot or so - to a new perch or even hover in the same spot and return to the same spot.

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) - Male

I saw the male first this year - by the greenhouse. I managed to approach him within a few feet and got some shots.

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) - Female

I didn’t see the female until about two weeks later. She was nervous the first time I saw her but, a day or so later, she let me get within a few feet of her too.

Identification resources:
- Bug Guide: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) [male] [female]
- Dragonflies of Georgia: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)
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