Giant Petaltail Dragonfly vs Fall Armyworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Petaltail Dragonfly Fall Armyworm
Scientific Name Petalura ingentissima Spodoptera frugiperda
Order Odonata Lepidoptera
Family Petaluridae Noctuidae
Size 85 mm body, 125 mm wingspan 32-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Oceania Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania
Conservation Vulnerable Not Evaluated

Giant Petaltail Dragonfly

Australias largest dragonfly and one of the most primitive living species, belonging to a family dating back to the Jurassic period. Larvae live in swamp burrows for years.

💡

Did You Know?

This dragonfly is a living fossil — its family dates back 150 million years to the Jurassic, and larvae dig burrows in swamps where they may live for over a decade.

Fall Armyworm

A highly destructive migratory moth whose caterpillars can devastate entire corn and cereal fields in days. It has recently spread from the Americas to Africa and Asia.

💡

Did You Know?

Fall armyworm moths can migrate up to 1,600 km in a single generation carried by wind currents.