Paddle-tailed Darner vs Little Tan Short-Horn Sedge

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Paddle-tailed Darner Little Tan Short-Horn Sedge
Scientific Name Aeshna palmata Glossosoma nigrior
Order Odonata Trichoptera
Family Aeshnidae Glossosomatidae
Size 65-75 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Paddle-tailed Darner

A large, boldly marked darner of western North America with distinctive paddle-shaped cerci. Males have bright blue and green abdominal spots.

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Did You Know?

Its uniquely flattened, paddle-shaped cerci are unlike those of any other North American darner.

Little Tan Short-Horn Sedge

A small, abundant caddisfly of eastern North American streams. Larvae build tortoise-shell-shaped cases of fine gravel and are important grazers.

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Did You Know?

Grazing by dense populations can visibly reduce algal cover on stream rocks.