Comet Darner vs Plain Dark-bee

Anax longipes compared with Stelis phaeoptera

Key Differences

• Comet Darner is Least Concern while Plain Dark-bee is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Comet Darner	Plain Dark-bee
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Aeshnidae	Megachilidae
Genus	Anax	Stelis
Species	Anax longipes	Stelis phaeoptera

Evolutionary Relationship

Comet Darner and Plain Dark-bee share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Comet Darner

LC — Least Concern

Plain Dark-bee

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Comet Darner	Plain Dark-bee
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.

Plain Dark-bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

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.