Desert Stink Bug vs Desert Threadtail Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Stink Bug Desert Threadtail Damselfly
Scientific Name Chlorochroa ligata Protoneuridae sp.
Order Hemiptera Odonata
Family Pentatomidae Coenagrionidae
Size 12-16 mm 25-35 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Desert Stink Bug

A green shield bug with a distinctive orange or red border found in arid western North America. It feeds on a variety of desert shrubs and weeds.

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Did You Know?

It releases a pungent chemical from thoracic glands that smells like cilantro to some people.

Desert Threadtail Damselfly

A tiny, thread-thin damselfly found near desert springs and oases. It has one of the most restricted habitats of any dragonfly, depending on permanent desert water.

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Did You Know?

Some desert threadtails exist in populations of fewer than 100 individuals at a single spring.