The Eastern Pondhawk is a ferocious hunter, often preying on other dragonflies their size. They are the only skimmer species with a green face, which both male and female have, but males become mostly blue with pruinose as the mature, while females stay green and black
Eastern podhawks often perch flat on or near the ground. They are ferocious hunters that will catch and eat prey that is their size, including other Eastern Pondhawks. Males usually protect territories from a perch but will also fly with another male in a type of leapfrog pattern. The two will fly close to the water with the male in front dropping down and moving back while the one in the rear flies over him to take the front position. This happens over and over
Still waters, such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving streams, with a lot of emergent and floating vegetation
Mating typically takes place in flight. After mating the female will often perch for a while before ovipositing. Eggs are laid during quick trips to vegetation beds where the female will lay around 900 eggs in seconds
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Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.
