Roseate Skimmer vs Beautiful Demoiselle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Roseate Skimmer Beautiful Demoiselle
Scientific Name Orthemis ferruginea Calopteryx virgo
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Libellulidae Calopterygidae
Size 45-53mm 50-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Wetlands Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America, South America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Roseate Skimmer

A dragonfly where mature males develop a beautiful rosy-pink to violet abdomen. Females are brown with a pale dorsal stripe. It is common in tropical and subtropical wetlands.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few dragonflies in the world that turns genuinely pink, not red or orange.

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.

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Did You Know?

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