Neon Skimmer vs Snail-Case Caddisfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Neon Skimmer Snail-Case Caddisfly
Scientific Name Libellula croceipennis Helicopsyche mexicana
Order Odonata Trichoptera
Family Libellulidae Helicopsychidae
Size 48-55 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America, Central America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Neon Skimmer

A brilliantly red dragonfly of the American Southwest with amber-tinted wings. Males are an intense fluorescent red that seems to glow in sunlight.

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Did You Know?

Its neon-red coloring is so vivid that it appears to fluoresce in bright sunlight.

Snail-Case Caddisfly

A remarkable caddisfly whose larva builds a coiled sand-grain case resembling a tiny snail shell. Found in warm streams of the American Southwest.

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Did You Know?

Cases so closely resemble snail shells that they were originally described as a new genus of freshwater snail.