Common Spreadwing vs European Mink

Lestes sponsa compared with Mustela lutreola

Key Differences

• Common Spreadwing is Least Concern while European Mink is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spreadwing	European Mink
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Lestidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Lestes	Mustela
Species	Lestes sponsa	Mustela lutreola

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Spreadwing and European Mink share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

European Mink

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spreadwing	European Mink
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

European Mink

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Common Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium