White-legged Damselfly vs Neon Skimmer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White-legged Damselfly Neon Skimmer
Scientific Name Platycnemis pennipes Libellula croceipennis
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Platycnemididae Libellulidae
Size 32-37 mm body length 48-55 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Ponds & Lakes
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

White-legged Damselfly

A pale, delicate damselfly with distinctively flattened white legs that the male waves during courtship displays. It prefers slow-flowing rivers and canals.

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Did You Know?

Males display their expanded white legs like flags to attract females during courtship.

Neon Skimmer

A brilliantly red dragonfly of the American Southwest with amber-tinted wings. Males are an intense fluorescent red that seems to glow in sunlight.

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Did You Know?

Its neon-red coloring is so vivid that it appears to fluoresce in bright sunlight.