Green Dragontail vs Dingy Arctic Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Dragontail Dingy Arctic Fritillary
Scientific Name Lamproptera meges Boloria improba
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Nymphalidae
Size 40-55 mm wingspan, tails up to 30 mm 26-32 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia) Arctic Scandinavia, Svalbard, Arctic Russia, Alaska, Canadian Arctic
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Green Dragontail

A diminutive swallowtail butterfly with translucent green-tinted wings and extraordinarily long, slender tail streamers on the hindwings. It hovers like a hummingbird while feeding.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the smallest swallowtails in the world and its hovering flight, combined with translucent wings, makes it look like a tiny dragonfly.

Dingy Arctic Fritillary

One of the smallest Arctic fritillaries with dull orange-brown wings and dark markings. The underside is mottled brown and gray with a mossy, cryptic appearance. It has a weak, fluttering flight close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly is so rare and localized that some populations consist of fewer than 100 individuals on isolated mountain summits.