Slaty Skimmer vs Luna Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Slaty Skimmer Luna Moth
Scientific Name Libellula incesta Actias luna
Order Odonata Lepidoptera
Family Libellulidae Saturniidae
Size 45-52 mm 80-115 mm wingspan
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Slaty Skimmer

A dark, slate-blue dragonfly of eastern North America. Mature males are uniformly dark blue-black, making them distinctive at ponds.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few North American dragonflies where males are almost entirely dark blue-black.

Luna Moth

A stunning lime-green moth with long trailing hindwing tails. Adults live only about one week. The long tails confuse bat echolocation by creating false echoes.

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Did You Know?

The luna moths long tail streamers confuse bat sonar — they spin behind the moth creating acoustic illusions that cause bats to miss their target 47% of the time.