Helicopter Dragonfly vs Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Helicopter Dragonfly Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
Scientific Name Mecistogaster linearis Ischnura pumilio
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Pseudostigmatidae Coenagrionidae
Size 80 mm body, 100 mm wingspan 26-31 mm body length
Habitat Forests Wetlands
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions Central America, South America Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

One of Europe's smallest damselflies, with a black body and a single blue segment near the tail tip. Females come in a remarkable variety of colour forms.

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Did You Know?

It specialises in colonising new and temporary water bodies that other dragonflies avoid.