Roseate Skimmer vs Reed Leopard Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Roseate Skimmer Reed Leopard Moth
Scientific Name Orthemis ferruginea Phragmataecia castaneae
Order Odonata Lepidoptera
Family Libellulidae Cossidae
Size 45-53mm 30–50 mm wingspan
Habitat Wetlands Wetlands
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions North America, South America Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Reed Leopard Moth

A cossid moth whose larvae bore into the stems of common reed and bulrush. It is widespread across European wetlands and reedbeds.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few cossid moths that bores into herbaceous plants rather than woody trees.