Yellow-spotted Tree Damselfly vs Persian Spoonwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-spotted Tree Damselfly Persian Spoonwing
Scientific Name Platycypha caligata Lertha sheppardi
Order Odonata Neuroptera
Family Chlorocyphidae Nemopteridae
Size 3-4 cm 28-36 mm wingspan (forewings)
Habitat Forests Grasslands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions East Africa, Southern Africa Iran, Middle East, Central Asia
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Yellow-spotted Tree Damselfly

A colorful damselfly from African forest streams with males showing bright red and white leg flags. Males wave their colorful legs to attract females.

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Did You Know?

Males perform elaborate leg-flagging displays, lifting their brightly colored tibiae to signal to females.

Persian Spoonwing

A Middle Eastern nemopterid found in arid steppe and desert-margin habitats. Adults have beautifully patterned forewings and long trailing hindwings.

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Did You Know?

It emerges in brief spring blooms in the desert, matching its adult life to wildflower availability.