Red-eyed Damselfly vs Common Whitetail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red-eyed Damselfly Common Whitetail
Scientific Name Erythromma najas Plathemis lydia
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Coenagrionidae Libellulidae
Size 30-36 mm 60-68 mm wingspan
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Ponds & Lakes
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Europe, Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red-eyed Damselfly

A stocky blue damselfly with distinctive dark red eyes. It spends most of its time perched on floating lily pads rather than bankside vegetation.

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Did You Know?

It is almost always found sitting on lily pads far from shore, unlike most damselflies.

Common Whitetail

A stocky dragonfly where mature males sport a chalky white abdomen and dark wing bands. It is one of the most frequently observed dragonflies in North America.

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Did You Know?

Male common whitetails are extremely aggressive and will attack and chase away dragonflies much larger than themselves from their territories.