Congo Basin Dragonfly vs Armoured Ground Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Congo Basin Dragonfly Armoured Ground Cricket
Scientific Name Palpopleura lucia Acanthoplus longipes
Order Odonata Orthoptera
Family Libellulidae Tettigoniidae
Size 25-35 mm body length 45-60 mm
Habitat Wetlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions West and Central Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, DRC, Senegal, Ivory Coast) Southern Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Congo Basin Dragonfly

A small but strikingly colored dragonfly with a broad, flattened abdomen. Males are bright blue with black wing markings while females are yellow and brown. It is one of the most abundant dragonflies in West African wetlands.

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Did You Know?

Males are highly territorial and will chase away any other dragonfly that enters their small waterside territory.

Armoured Ground Cricket

A robust flightless katydid covered in sharp spines across its thorax and legs. It is an omnivorous insect found in arid bushveld.

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Did You Know?

They are cannibalistic and will devour injured members of their own species during mass marching events.