African Openbill vs Common Baskettail

Anastomus lamelligerus compared with Epitheca cynosura

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African Openbill	Common Baskettail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Ciconiiformes (Ciconiiformes)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Ciconiidae	Corduliidae
Genus	Anastomus	Epitheca
Species	Anastomus lamelligerus	Epitheca cynosura

Evolutionary Relationship

African Openbill and Common Baskettail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

African Openbill

LC — Least Concern

Common Baskettail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African Openbill	Common Baskettail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

African Openbill

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Germany, and Norway.

Common Baskettail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

African Openbill

The African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus) is a species in the genus Anastomus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Common Baskettail

The common baskettail (<em>Epitheca cynosura</em>) is a dragonfly found across terrestrial and freshwater habitats of the United States. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting a stable and widespread population within its native range. <em>Epitheca cynosura</em> belongs to the family Corduliidae and is typically associated with ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving streams, where its aquatic larvae develop. Adults are often observed patrolling over open water and forest edges in search of prey and mates. The species is named for the basket-like egg mass that females carry at the tip of their abdomen before depositing eggs in water. Males often form feeding swarms, particularly in the morning hours, where they capture small flying insects. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.