Graphic Flutterer vs Cicada Killer Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Graphic Flutterer Cicada Killer Wasp
Scientific Name Rhyothemis graphiptera Sphecius speciosus
Order Odonata Hymenoptera
Family Libellulidae Crabronidae
Size Body 3-4 cm; wingspan 6-7 cm 30-50 mm
Habitat Wetlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Graphic Flutterer

A stunning dragonfly with dark patterned wings that give it a butterfly-like appearance in flight. It flies with a distinctive slow, fluttering motion over tropical wetlands.

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Did You Know?

Its slow, fluttery flight is thought to mimic distasteful butterfly species as a form of protective mimicry.

Cicada Killer Wasp

A large solitary wasp that provisions its burrow with paralyzed cicadas.

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Did You Know?

A female can carry a cicada weighing more than herself in flight back to her burrow.