Angelkeep took on a pride, albeit bordered on arrogance, when a common and Angelkeep-abundant dragonfly variety became known. Upon sight the name could be remembered, and dropped it was, if someone was nearby that seemed interested, or if an inner self arose in want of showing off. All who arose to such an egotistic pinnacle were destined to be knocked down a notch. . .or four. So it went.
Blue dasher became an annual overachiever for producing progeny, or offspring, in the spring of each year. Generation after generation emerged from their longer stage of nymph life in the waters of Angelpond. Angelkeep became familiar with several dragonfly species, all from the classification order of Odonata. Angelkeep preferred trying to learn common names. For example blue dasher’s scientific species classification binomial name in 1839 became Pachydiplax longipennis. Try saying each three times, fast.
Blue dasher became one of the larger dragonflies on Angelpond and easily identified with its blue body. Vibrant blue. The thorax had a bit of yellow striped in black, like a stained glass window. The eyes appeared as blue-green. They were friendly enough, at least males, to pose occasionally on a stalk for a digital portrait. Female were rarely seen. Their abdomen held little of the blue, but looked more like a continuation of the thorax design, with eyes of bronzy-red.
Life at Angelkeep remained good and somewhat easy while blue dasher’s numbers ruled the roost, so to speak. The name of a larger, quite friendly, dark purple dragonfly never had been discovered. Others were easy to spot with identification due to names like twelve-spotted skimmer. Eastern amberwings have, you guessed it, amber colored wings and body.
One of the largest dragonflies of Angelkeep’s history appeared in 2023. It flew swiftly from one end of the pond to the other at eye level. Was it dining or showing off? When zipping past within a few feet, the colors appeared alluring. It simply refused to perch for a photo leading to identification.
Ouabache State Park provided the opportunity to learn of Angelkeep’s newest species of large dragonfly. Identification following a photo of this same dragonfly resting on the ground proved to be an Eastern pondhawk. The true identification didn’t come easy. It introduced more dragonfly confusion. It was like the dragonfly world was expressing, “You don’t know all you think you know.”
You too will prefer the common name “eastern pondhawk” over the binomial of “Erythemis simplicollis.”
Blue dashers and eastern pondhawks are similar. They can be confused for each other, especially the males who are of similar size. Male dasher faces below the eyes are green, pondhawks have a white face. Oops, NO, the other way around. It’s confusing. Both have blue bodies. Blues are more aggressive and will actually take over pondhawks’ prime perches.
Females have strikingly different coloring with the pondhawk female being mostly green and the blue dasher lady preferring being robed in a brownish-yellow coloring. Female eastern pondhawks come a bit larger than feminine blue dashers.
The tail end of the abdomen of the males holds the claspers. The name “claspers” is not rocket science. It’s dragonfly science and means it is the part that clasps her when they are both in the mood for romance. Blue dasher’s clasper color was navy blue or black, the pondhawk’s clasper being white like its face.
All this vital information goes right out the window if you, as a dragonfly stalker, get to observe a juvenile eastern pondhawk. You will find both the male and female pondhawk juvenile looking almost exactly, including color, like its mama pondhawk. That means no adult male blue color.
To complicate matters, additional differences occur for a western pondhawk. Fortunately for this Angelkeep dragonfly novice, who only sometimes pretends to know much about dragonflies, his land and pond are located in the eastern half of America.
“Full disclosure” apologies were in order at this stage for previously intimating Angelkeep knew a thing or two about dragonflies. Get perfect information from the writings of the late E. Bruce Williamson of Bluffton, a world expert on the subject.
Mr. Daugherty is a Wells County resident who, along with his wife Gwen, enjoy their backyard and have named it “Angelkeep.”
