Helicopter Dragonfly vs Redbay Ambrosia Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Helicopter Dragonfly Redbay Ambrosia Beetle
Scientific Name Mecistogaster linearis Xyleborus glabratus
Order Odonata Coleoptera
Family Pseudostigmatidae Curculionidae (Scolytinae)
Size 80 mm body, 100 mm wingspan 1.8–2.4 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Predators Wood Feeders
Regions Central America, South America Southeastern United States, Southeast Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Helicopter Dragonfly

A forest giant damselfly that plucks spiders from their webs while hovering.

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Did You Know?

Females oviposit into water-filled bromeliads and tree holes in the canopy.

Redbay Ambrosia Beetle

An invasive beetle from Southeast Asia that vectors laurel wilt disease in the Americas. It bores into healthy trees of the laurel family.

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Did You Know?

It has devastated redbay tree populations across the southeastern US and now threatens the avocado industry.