White-legged Damselfly vs Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | White-legged Damselfly | Twelve-Spotted Skimmer |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Platycnemis pennipes | Libellula pulchella |
| Order | Odonata | Odonata |
| Family | Platycnemididae | Libellulidae |
| Size | 32-37 mm body length | 65-75 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Ponds & Lakes |
| Diet | Omnivores | Predators |
| 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.
Did You Know?
Males display their expanded white legs like flags to attract females during courtship.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
A showy dragonfly with three dark spots on each wing, totaling twelve. Mature males develop additional white spots between the dark ones.
Did You Know?
Despite the name twelve-spotted, mature males actually have 24 wing markings when the white pruinose spots are included.