Southern Damselfly vs Florida Carpenter Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Southern Damselfly Florida Carpenter Ant
Scientific Name Coenagrion mercuriale Camponotus floridanus
Order Odonata Hymenoptera
Family Coenagrionidae Formicidae
Size 27-31 mm 5-11 mm
Habitat Meadows Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Africa Southeastern United States
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Southern Damselfly

A rare and declining European damselfly with a mercury-symbol-shaped mark on segment two. It is restricted to base-rich shallow streams and water meadows.

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Did You Know?

It is named for the mercury-symbol-shaped black marking on the second segment of the male's abdomen.

Florida Carpenter Ant

A bicolored carpenter ant with a reddish-orange head and thorax and black abdomen. It is the most common structural pest ant in Florida.

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Did You Know?

Florida carpenter ants have among the largest genomes of any ant species studied, containing around 240 million base pairs.