About Erythemis collocata (Hagen, 1861)
Erythemis collocata, commonly known as the western pondhawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is native to western Canada, the western United States, and Mexico. This dragonfly is known to prey on the western malaria mosquito, Anopheles freeborni. This predation activity mostly takes place at dusk, when Anopheles freeborni gather in large swarms to mate. Because Erythemis collocata depends on visual stimuli to attack its prey, the frequency of its attacks goes down as the sky becomes darker.
