Ancient Greenling vs Red-eyed Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ancient Greenling Red-eyed Damselfly
Scientific Name Hemiphlebia mirabilis Erythromma najas
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Hemiphlebiidae Coenagrionidae
Size 20-25 mm 30-36 mm
Habitat Wetlands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Oceania Europe, Asia
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Ancient Greenling

The sole surviving member of one of the most ancient damselfly families on Earth.

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Did You Know?

It is considered a living fossil and the most phylogenetically isolated odonate alive.

Red-eyed Damselfly

A stocky blue damselfly with distinctive dark red eyes. It spends most of its time perched on floating lily pads rather than bankside vegetation.

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Did You Know?

It is almost always found sitting on lily pads far from shore, unlike most damselflies.