Great Pondhawk

Ebony Jewelwing

Wandering Glider – F

Wandering Glider – M

Eastern Pondhawk – M, Rambur’s Forktail

Rambur’s Forktail – M&F

Eastern Amberwing

Blue Dasher – M

Four-spotted Pennant

Halloween Pennant – F

Halloween Pennant – M

I snapped this collection of photos from a couple local parks over the past few weeks. I am always pleased to see so many of these ravenous beauties around – if not we’d be swarmed with multitudes of mosquitoes and no-see-ums! They are ferocious predators, in both their aquatic larval stage and as aerial adults.

I do wish I had better shots of a few but I still included them to show some of the diversity. Granted, this is only a small smattering of the 150+ species that have been documented in Florida. Note the colorful differences between the males and females.

Occasionally, if the light is just right, I can capture the metallic sheen of their wings glinting in the sun.

Top to bottom, left to right: Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa), Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata), Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) Female and Male, Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) Male and Female, Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera), Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida), Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina), Female and Male.