Street
skeeta hawk
What does skeeta hawk mean?
What New Orleans calls a dragonfly. The folk belief is they eat skeeters (mosquitoes), so they're hawks of skeeters. Skeeta hawks are which is true enough that nobody questions it — dragonflies do eat mosquitoes by the hundred.
"Look at all them skeeta hawks over the bayou tonight."
Origin
Southern US folk name; 'mosquito hawk' is the wider regional form, with NOLA shortening it phonetically.
Frequently asked questions
What is a skeeta hawk?
It's a dragonfly, so called because it's said to hunt mosquitoes.
Why is it called a skeeta hawk?
"Skeeta" is short for mosquito, and the dragonfly is said to hunt them, so it's the "hawk" that preys on skeeters.
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