Wood White vs Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wood White Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
Scientific Name Leptidea sinapis Ischnura pumilio
Order Lepidoptera Odonata
Family Pieridae Coenagrionidae
Size 36-48 mm wingspan 26-31 mm body length
Habitat Meadows Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, western Asia Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wood White

A delicate, fluttery butterfly with rounded white wings and a small grey wingtip patch. It has a weak, dancing flight close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

It was recently discovered to be a complex of three cryptic species indistinguishable by appearance alone.

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

One of Europe's smallest damselflies, with a black body and a single blue segment near the tail tip. Females come in a remarkable variety of colour forms.

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Did You Know?

It specialises in colonising new and temporary water bodies that other dragonflies avoid.