Common Spreadwing vs Handley s Slender Opossum

Lestes sponsa compared with Marmosops handleyi

Key Differences

• Common Spreadwing is Least Concern while Handley s Slender Opossum is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spreadwing	Handley s Slender Opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Lestidae	Didelphidae
Genus	Lestes	Marmosops
Species	Lestes sponsa	Marmosops handleyi

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Spreadwing and Handley s Slender Opossum share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Handley s Slender Opossum

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spreadwing	Handley s Slender Opossum
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.

Handley s Slender Opossum

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Colombia. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.