Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly vs Petaltail Dragonfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Petaltail Dragonfly
Scientific Name Ischnura pumilio Tachopteryx thoreyi
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Coenagrionidae Petaluridae
Size 26-31 mm body length 70-80 mm
Habitat Wetlands Indoors
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

One of Europe's smallest damselflies, with a black body and a single blue segment near the tail tip. Females come in a remarkable variety of colour forms.

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Did You Know?

It specialises in colonising new and temporary water bodies that other dragonflies avoid.

Petaltail Dragonfly

A primitive dragonfly that perches on tree trunks and has bog-dwelling larvae.

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Did You Know?

It belongs to one of the most ancient dragonfly families, largely unchanged for 150 million years.