Northern Ground Beetle vs Beautiful Demoiselle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Northern Ground Beetle Beautiful Demoiselle
Scientific Name Pelophila borealis Calopteryx virgo
Order Coleoptera Odonata
Family Carabidae Calopterygidae
Size 10-14 mm 50-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada, Alaska Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Northern Ground Beetle

A medium-sized, dark metallic green or bronze ground beetle with long legs. It is an active predator on riverbanks and lakeshores in Arctic regions. Adults run rapidly across muddy substrates hunting small invertebrates.

💡

Did You Know?

This beetle can withstand brief submersion in near-freezing water and quickly resumes hunting once it reaches dry ground.

Beautiful Demoiselle

A stunning damselfly with entirely dark-tinted wings in males and bronze-green wings in females. It prefers faster-flowing, well-oxygenated streams.

💡

Did You Know?

Beautiful demoiselles are indicators of clean water quality, as their larvae can only survive in well-oxygenated, unpolluted streams.