Cardinal Meadowhawk vs Lion

Sympetrum illotum compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

Cardinal Meadowhawk is Least Concern while Lion is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal Meadowhawk	Lion
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Libellulidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Sympetrum	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Sympetrum illotum	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal Meadowhawk and Lion share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Cardinal Meadowhawk

LC — Least Concern

Lion

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal Meadowhawk	Lion
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Lion

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cardinal Meadowhawk

The Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) is a species in the genus Sympetrum. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Lion

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.