Azure Hawker vs Emerald Spreadwing

Aeshna caerulea compared with Lestes dryas

Key Differences

• Azure Hawker is Least Concern while Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Azure Hawker	Emerald Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Odonata (Odonata)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Aeshnidae	Lestidae
Genus	Aeshna	Lestes
Species	Aeshna caerulea	Lestes dryas

Evolutionary Relationship

Azure Hawker and Emerald Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Order level: Odonata. (Odonata)

Conservation Status

Azure Hawker

LC — Least Concern

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Azure Hawker	Emerald Spreadwing
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Azure Hawker

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Azure Hawker

The Azure Hawker (Aeshna caerulea) is a species in the genus Aeshna. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden