General: Western Pondhawk Dragonflies (Erythemis collocata) are active daytime fliers often seen around ponds and slow waters around Las Vegas. Western Pondhawks are among our smallest dragonflies. Adult males are recognized by their blue body color, blue or blue-green eyes, and green green face. Females and young males are all green, and are our only all-green dragonflies (with some small dark marks on the abdomen).

These active creatures are harmless to humans, but they are voracious predators of small flying insects such as flies and mosquitoes. The larvae, however, can provide a bit of a bite. There are some good places for Watching Dragonflies Around Las Vegas.

Taxonomy: Order Odonata, Suborder Anisoptera, Family Libellulidae. This species was once considered a subspecies of the Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), and some field guides list it as the Western Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis collocata).