# Pin-Tailed Pondhawk (*erythemis plebeja*) The Pin-Tailed Pondhawk is a vibrant dragonfly known for its beautiful blue and green colors. It loves to flutter around ponds and lakes, making it a fun sight for kids to watch! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes - **Also known as:** Blue Pondhawk, Common Pondhawk, Erythemis Dragonfly, Green Pondhawk ![Pin-Tailed Pondhawk](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pin-tailed_Meadowhawk.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mike Ostrowski, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pin-tailed_Meadowhawk.jpg) ## Appearance The Pin-Tailed Pondhawk is a small, dark dragonfly, often appearing black with a pruinose blue thorax in mature males. Its slender, tapering abdomen gives it a distinctive 'pin-tail' appearance, and females typically display yellow spots along their dark body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Libellulidae - **Genus:** Erythemis ## Interesting facts - Dragonflies have been flying for over 300 million years, even before the dinosaurs! - Pin-Tailed Pondhawk nymphs can live underwater for years before becoming flying adults! - Pin-Tailed Pondhawks eat mosquitoes, helping to keep those pesky biters in check! - They catch prey with their legs in a 'basket' while flying! ## Special abilities - **Aerial Acrobatics:** Pin-Tailed Pondhawk can fly in any direction, even backwards, because of its two pairs of independently moving wings. - **Underwater Breathing:** Pin-Tailed Pondhawk nymphs breathe underwater using gills, allowing them to live and hunt submerged. - **Extendable Jaw:** Pin-Tailed Pondhawk larvae have an extendable jaw, a labium, that helps them snatch unsuspecting prey. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 50-75 mm - **Size:** 35-45 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 25 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding They are aerial predators, catching small flying insects. - **Age differences:** Nymphs hunt aquatic insects and tadpoles; adults hunt flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** Mosquitoes, Gnats, Flies, Small Moths, Midges - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Yellow Fever Mosquito](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-fever-mosquito) (*Aedes aegypti*) — Adults prey on them in flight. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Kingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-kingbird) (*Tyrannus tyrannus*) — Birds snatch them from the air or perches. - **Eaten by:** [Bluegill](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bluegill) (*Lepomis macrochirus*) — Fish prey on pondhawk nymphs underwater. - **Hunts:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Nymphs ambush tadpoles in the water. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pin-Tailed Pondhawk? Compare wing shape and resting posture, where the eyes sit, body markings and the tail segments. Males and females can look very different in color. Dragonfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Pin-Tailed Pondhawk's wingspan? 50-75 mm ### How big is Pin-Tailed Pondhawk? 35-45 mm ### How long does Pin-Tailed Pondhawk live? 30-60 days ### How fast can Pin-Tailed Pondhawk fly? 25 km/h ### What does Pin-Tailed Pondhawk eat? They are aerial predators, catching small flying insects. ### Where is Pin-Tailed Pondhawk usually found? Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes ### How does Pin-Tailed Pondhawk hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Orlando Festival Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/orlando-festival-park) — Florida, US · Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Pin-Tailed Pondhawk: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pin-tailed-pondhawk)