Pondhawks are skimmers (Family Libellulidae), dragonflies with brightly colored bodies and often with spots on their wings. Dragonflies can be distinguished from damsel flies because they hold their wings out horizontally and sideways when not flying (as opposed to holding them vertically and backwards). Pondhawks are about one and a half inches long and have a wingspan of about two and a half inches. There is an eastern and a western species of pondhawk, with overlapping ranges.

Male and female eastern pondhawks look very different because of their coloration (pale blue and green, respectively). However, both have a green head and large, dark green eyes, and both have a stigma (small dark mark) on each wing.

Pondhawks live around still water where there is vegetation, often awaiting damselflies as prey. The adult eats small insects and the naiad eats aquatic insects. Pondhawks, like other dragonflies and damselflies, are important because they prey on mosquito larvae and adults.

The females fly to water to wash off eggs on the abdomen; the resultant naiads become adults from June onwards.

These dragonflies tend to perch horizontally, often resting on bare earth or on floating objects. The ones shown here are resting on a boardwalk.