When male Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) are very young, they have green bodies with dark banding on the abdomen, just like their female counterparts. Over time male Eastern Pondhawks are gradually transformed into a duller shade of blue and finally a powdery bluish-grey.
From an aesthetic point of view, my favorite stage of development is when they are young males and their thoraxes are a beautiful shade of green that contrasts wonderfully with their blue abdomens. Eastern Pondhawks of both genders have cool-looking green faces that help to distinguish them immediately from other dragonfly species.
I spotted this Eastern Pondhawk during a recent visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, a small refuge that belongs to a nearby military installation. It is not a contiguous part of that installation, however, and is open to the public. The composition of this shot is quite simple, but I like the way that the Y-shape of the forked branch helps to divide up the frame and lead the viewer’s eyes to the main subject.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Spectacular 🤩
Thanks, Michael.
You’re welcome, Mike.
looks as if the pondhawk is in a slingshot ready to be launched!
Your comment made me laugh, Molly, but I can definitely see what you mean. Somehow I had never thought of that, but now can’t look at the photo without thinking of a slingshot. 🙂
Beautiful specimen with those shades of green and blue and a very nice composition with the Y branch!