Nebraska Dragonflies and Damselflies

Eastern Pondhawk

Erythemis simplicicollis

Say, 1839

The Eastern Pondhawk is a widespread and easily recognized dragonfly. The male is blue (powdery blue in older males) with a green face and white claspers. Females and young males are bright green marked with black on the abdomen. Eastern Pondhawks are ferocious, attacking insects as large as themselves.

This very common skimmer is recorded from every county except Box Butte. It is an eastern species which is less common in most of the far western counties, and there are no Wyoming records. A pond species, but often more common in marshy vegetation away from a pond or stream, it is easy for a beginner to confuse this with clubtails.

Green indicates accepted county record (specimen or photograph).
Yellow indicates sight record only.