Paddle-tailed Darner vs Malagasy Dracula Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Paddle-tailed Darner Malagasy Dracula Ant
Scientific Name Aeshna palmata Mystrium voeltzkowi
Order Odonata Hymenoptera
Family Aeshnidae Formicidae
Size 65-75 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Underground
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

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.

Malagasy Dracula Ant

An enigmatic Dracula ant endemic to Madagascar with pale yellow coloring and reduced eyes. Workers live deep underground and practice the characteristic hemolymph feeding from larvae. Colonies are small, with typically fewer than 100 workers.

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Did You Know?

They are considered living fossils, representing one of the most basal lineages of all living ants.