The Insect Arena

At first I thought this was a teneral Clubtail (Gomphidae) due to the kind of bland coloration of this one's body. It's tough to make out the markings on the thorax, but from what is visible, this quite resembles a Gray-green Clubtail (Arigomphus pallidus). It fits for habitat and range also. The intensity of green in the eyes are what made me realize this is not a teneral, it's just not as boldly patterned of an adult as some others. March 2023. Largo, Florida, USA.

Despite this guys being on some Goldenrod (Solidago), it's almost certainly not the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus). The almost identical Margined Leatherwing (C. marginatus) can be differentiated by the dark spot on the dorsal plate of the thorax (pronotum), visible in the fourth photo. In this specimen it is elongated from front to back instead of from side to side, which would have indicated the other guy. March 2023. Largo, Florida, USA.