Brown Hawker vs Corsican Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Hawker Corsican Swallowtail
Scientific Name Aeshna grandis Papilio hospiton
Order Odonata Lepidoptera
Family Aeshnidae Papilionidae
Size 70-77 mm 68-76 mm wingspan
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Mountains
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy)
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Brown Hawker

A large dragonfly entirely brown with amber-tinted wings, unique among European hawkers. Its warm brown coloring makes it unmistakable in flight.

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Did You Know?

It is the only large European dragonfly that is entirely brown with bronze-tinted wings.

Corsican Swallowtail

A large swallowtail endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia with heavily patterned black and yellow wings. It is one of Europe's most threatened butterflies.

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Did You Know?

It can hybridize with the common swallowtail where their ranges overlap, producing fertile hybrid offspring.