Black-tailed Skimmer vs White-tailed Skimmer

Orthetrum cancellatum compared with Orthetrum albistylum

Key Differences

• Black-tailed Skimmer is Vulnerable while White-tailed Skimmer is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-tailed Skimmer	White-tailed Skimmer
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 same	Libellulidae	Libellulidae
Genus same	Orthetrum	Orthetrum
Species	Orthetrum cancellatum	Orthetrum albistylum

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-tailed Skimmer and White-tailed Skimmer share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Orthetrum.

Conservation Status

Black-tailed Skimmer

VU — Vulnerable

White-tailed Skimmer

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-tailed Skimmer	White-tailed Skimmer
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-tailed Skimmer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

White-tailed Skimmer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Belgium.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) 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 1 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium