Blue Dasher vs Northern Damselfly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Blue Dasher | Northern Damselfly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pachydiplax longipennis | Coenagrion johanssoni |
| Order | Odonata | Odonata |
| Family | Libellulidae | Coenagrionidae |
| Size | 52-58 mm wingspan | 28-35 mm body length |
| Habitat | Ponds & Lakes | Wetlands |
| Diet | Predators | Omnivores |
| Regions | North America, Central America | Northern Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Blue Dasher
A medium-sized dragonfly with a powdery blue abdomen and metallic green eyes in males. It is one of the most common dragonflies in North America.
Did You Know?
Blue dashers adopt a distinctive obelisk posture in hot weather, pointing their abdomen straight up at the sun to minimize heat absorption.
Northern Damselfly
A delicate blue and black damselfly with narrow wings held together above the body at rest. Males have a distinctive blue pattern on the abdomen. It breeds in bog pools and marshy lakeshores.
Did You Know?
This damselfly has one of the most northerly distributions of any odonate, surviving in habitats where the breeding season lasts only a few weeks.