Paddle-tailed Darner vs Northern Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Paddle-tailed Darner Northern Damselfly
Scientific Name Aeshna palmata Coenagrion johanssoni
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Aeshnidae Coenagrionidae
Size 65-75 mm 28-35 mm body length
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Northern Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia
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.

Northern Damselfly

A delicate blue and black damselfly with narrow wings held together above the body at rest. Males have a distinctive blue pattern on the abdomen. It breeds in bog pools and marshy lakeshores.

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Did You Know?

This damselfly has one of the most northerly distributions of any odonate, surviving in habitats where the breeding season lasts only a few weeks.