Sinuate-winged Damselfly vs Common Water Penny

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sinuate-winged Damselfly Common Water Penny
Scientific Name Tatocnemis sinuatipennis Psephenus herricki
Order Odonata Coleoptera
Family Platycnemididae Psephenidae
Size 35-42 mm 4-6 mm (adults); 6-10 mm (larvae)
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Madagascar Eastern North America
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Sinuate-winged Damselfly

An endemic damselfly with distinctively sinuate or wavy-edged wings, a feature unique among Malagasy odonates. Males have a metallic green thorax and pale blue abdomen.

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Did You Know?

The unusual wavy wing shape is found in no other damselfly genus, making Tatocnemis instantly recognizable in the field.

Common Water Penny

A small aquatic beetle whose larvae are flattened and round like a copper penny, clinging to rocks in fast streams. Adults are terrestrial and short-lived.

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Did You Know?

Larvae are so flat they can cling to rocks in torrential currents that would wash away most other insects.