Widow Skimmer vs Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Widow Skimmer | Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Libellula luctuosa | Dendroxena quadrimaculata |
| Order | Odonata | Coleoptera |
| Family | Libellulidae | Silphidae |
| Size | 60-68 mm wingspan | 12-16 mm |
| Habitat | Ponds & Lakes | Grasslands |
| Diet | Predators | Predators |
| Regions | North America | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Widow Skimmer
A distinctive dragonfly with broad dark wing patches at the base and white bands beyond them in mature males. Females and young males lack the white bands.
Did You Know?
The widow skimmer gets its somber common name from the dark mourning-veil-like patches on the wings of females.
Four-Spotted Carrion Beetle
A yellowish-brown beetle with four dark spots on its elytra, unusual for a silphid because it hunts in trees rather than on the ground. It climbs trunks searching for caterpillars.
Did You Know?
It is one of the only carrion beetles that has abandoned carrion feeding entirely, becoming an arboreal caterpillar predator.