Comet Darner vs Common Eyelash

Anax longipes compared with Scutellinia scutellata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Comet Darner	Common Eyelash
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Pezizales (Pezizales)
Family	Aeshnidae	Pyronemataceae
Genus	Anax	Scutellinia
Species	Anax longipes	Scutellinia scutellata

Conservation Status

Comet Darner

LC — Least Concern

Common Eyelash

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Comet Darner	Common Eyelash
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Comet Darner

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Common Eyelash

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Comet Darner

<em>Anax longipes</em>, the comet darner, is a large dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is endemic to the United States, where it inhabits lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers with clear water and abundant emergent vegetation. The comet darner is one of the largest North American dragonflies and is distinguished by its brilliant coloration, including a green thorax and a red-spotted abdomen in mature males. The species name longipes refers to its notably long legs. Adults are powerful aerial predators, feeding on a variety of flying insects captured in flight. Larvae are aquatic and predatory, developing in the benthic zone of freshwater habitats where they feed on invertebrates and small vertebrates. The comet darner undertakes seasonal dispersal movements and is most commonly observed near its breeding water bodies during the warmer months.

Common Eyelash

The Common Eyelash (<em>Scutellinia scutellata</em>) is a small cup fungus belonging to the genus Scutellinia within the family Pyronemataceae. It is recognised by its distinctive scarlet to bright red disc-shaped fruiting body, typically measuring just a few millimetres across, and fringed with dark brown hair-like structures resembling eyelashes, from which its common name derives. This species is native to Asia and Europe and North America, and typically inhabits decomposing wood, moist soil, and other organic substrates in humid environments. Its geographic range is wide, with confirmed records across Asia including Taiwan, Europe including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal, North America including the United States, and South America including Brazil. <em>Scutellinia scutellata</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent abundance. Biological traits such as lifespan, size, and specific dietary habits remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though as a saprotrophic fungus it typically obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States