Mexican Firefly vs Golden-Ringed Dragonfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mexican Firefly Golden-Ringed Dragonfly
Scientific Name Photinus mexicanus Cordulegaster boltonii
Order Coleoptera Odonata
Family Lampyridae Cordulegastridae
Size 8-12 mm 76-84 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America, Central America, Mexico Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Mexican Firefly

A medium-sized firefly from Mexico and Central America with a dark body and yellowish-red pronotum. It produces a yellow-green flash in subtropical and tropical habitats.

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Did You Know?

The firefly spectacle at Nanacamilpa in Tlaxcala, Mexico, where millions synchronize their flashes, involves closely related Photinus species.

Golden-Ringed Dragonfly

The longest dragonfly in Britain, adorned with bold black and yellow rings along its body. Females have a conspicuous ovipositor used to inject eggs into stream beds.

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Did You Know?

The larvae of golden-ringed dragonflies live buried in stream sediment for up to five years before emerging as adults, ambushing prey from their sandy hideouts.