Erythemis vesiculosa

(Fabricius, 1775)

Great Pondhawk

Erythemis vesiculosa, commonly known as the great pondhawk, is a in the . It is distributed throughout the Americas, ranging from the southern United States through Central and South America. The has been documented in insular , including the Galápagos Islands, where it exhibits behavioral to species-poor .

Erythemis (Lepthemis) vesiculosa by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Erythemis vesiculosa by leppyone. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Erythemis vesiculosa: /ɛˈrɪθɛmɪs vɛˌsɪkjʊˈloʊsə/

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Distribution

Widely distributed throughout the Americas, from the southern United States southward through Central and South America. Documented in Brazil (including states Amazonas, Amapá, Bahia, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Pará, Pernambuco, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Roraima, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Colombia, Mexico (Oaxaca), and the Caribbean. Also present on the Galápagos Islands (Isabela Island).

Behavior

In insular , females have been observed to be more efficient at when alone compared to oviposition under male non-contact guarding. This behavioral pattern has been attributed to sexual conflict between males and females. The exhibits at least two distinct oviposition strategies in island pond .

Similar Taxa

Erythemis simplicicollisBoth are pondhawk in the Erythemis, sharing similar preferences and general body plan; E. simplicicollis (eastern pondhawk) is a North with overlapping range in the southern United States
Erythemis collocataCongeneric pondhawk with similar and ; the western pondhawk occurs in western North America with potential range overlap in some regions

More Details

Behavioral Research Context

Studies of E. vesiculosa in the Galápagos have contributed to understanding how in -poor insular environments exhibit high behavioral diversity in strategies. This research suggests that behavioral may expand when fewer competing species are present.