Emerald-spotted Flatwing Damselfly vs Ancient Greenling

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Emerald-spotted Flatwing Damselfly Ancient Greenling
Scientific Name Phaon iridipennis Hemiphlebia mirabilis
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Calopterygidae Hemiphlebiidae
Size 40-50 mm body length 20-25 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda) Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Emerald-spotted Flatwing Damselfly

A stunning damselfly with metallic green and blue body and broad, iridescent wings with emerald spots. Males display by opening and closing their wings to attract females along streams.

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Did You Know?

Males perform elaborate courtship displays, hovering in front of females while slowly fanning their iridescent wings to catch the sunlight.

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.