Green Clearwing A.K.A. Eastern Pondhawk Dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis)
Pricing: Dead (spread, as pictured): $25-$40 each, depending on sex and quality.
Geographic Range: Most of North America
View: Top Sex: Female (top) & Male (bottom)
Availability Notes: Perfect color on the males is hard to retain
The blue color on the males is due to a waxy coating (pruinescence) that is often difficult to preserve intact. Newly emerged males will possess coloration like the females until their pruinescence is fully formed. Erythemis simplicicollis is considered one of the most (if not THE most) aggressive dragonflies in North America. Harmless to humans, it has been known to attack and consume all sorts of large insects, including newly emerged dragonflies much larger than itself. This dragonfly is on the wing throughout the year. In the north, individuals emerging in spring tend to be larger than broods that emerge in the fall. This dragonfly is absent from the arid lands of the extreme southwestern U.S.A.