September 23, 2025

We are male and female Eastern Pondhawks

Blue for boy and green for girl

We both like to eat mosquitos

So our admiration is well earned!

Location: Cocoa, James G. Bourbeau Memorial Park

Sources: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dragonflies

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 10, 2023

I am a male Eastern Pondhawk

I like to eat butterflies and moths

This isn't always a bad thing because

I'm known to eat moths that can damage crops.

Location: Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3492320?read-now=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Photo and text © 2023 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

May 25, 2023

I am an Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly

I'm green, so you know I'm young or female

Unlike adult males, who are mostly blue

And I have square black spots down my tail*

* Technically, that is my abdomen, not my tail, but abdomen doesn't really rhyme with much. 

Location: Goodwin WMA

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/577

https://animalcorner.org/dragonfly-anatomy/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

October 21, 2022

I am a female or young Eastern Pondhawk

Superficially, I resemble a Regal Darner

You can tell I am me, although we're both green

The Regal Darner is about two times larger.

Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL

Sources: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Eastern-Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

October 18, 2022

I am an adult male Eastern Pondhawk

Like avian hawks, I'm a fearsome predator

I can take on other bugs as big as myself

And I defend my territory from competitors.

Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL

Sources: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Eastern-Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

April 8, 2022

We are both Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies

We can eat bugs that are bigger than us

We are also a predator of the Bollworm moth

Which, for the cotton industry, is a big plus.

Location: Goodwin Wildlife Management Area, Fellsmere

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/577

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3492320

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

December 8, 2021

I am a male Eastern Pondhawk

I am known to be quite aggressive

Not to humans, just to other insects

Even other dragonflies, now that is impressive!

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/miss/learn/nature/pondhawk.htm

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 30, 2021

I am a male Eastern Pondhawk

I usually live near water, and on insects I chow.

But today I thought I would try something new

And take a nap in David's eyebrow.

(Special thanks to guest photographer, David Simpson.)

Location: McCurtain County, OK

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/577

Photo © 2021 David Simpson and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

November 3, 2019

Location: Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland

I am an adult male Eastern Pondhawk
I'm powder blue with big green eyes
If I were young or female I'd be totally green
We all eat bugs, from small to large sized.

Sources: Odonata Central - Eastern Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

September 5, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, Goodwin WMA

I’m a male Erythemis simplicicollis,
An Eastern Pondhawk, more commonly.
My color pattern changes 17 times,
Based on the temperature and how much I eat.

Sources: Odonata Central - Eastern Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

September 3, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, Goodwin WMA

I am a female Eastern Pondhawk
My wings are clear and the rest of me's green.
I can be found anywhere in America,
Where there are rivers or ditches or streams.

Sources: Odonata Central - Eastern Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 12, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, my house

I am a female Eastern Pondhawk,
A type of Dragonfly.
I like to eat other insects,
Which I catch using spines on my thighs.

Sources: Bug Guide - Erythemis simplicicollis - Eastern Pondhawk

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson