Common Spreadwing vs Hector’s Beaked Whale

Lestes sponsa compared with Mesoplodon hectori

Key Differences

• Common Spreadwing is Least Concern while Hector’s Beaked Whale is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spreadwing	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Lestidae	Hyperoodontidae
Genus	Lestes	Mesoplodon
Species	Lestes sponsa	Mesoplodon hectori

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Spreadwing and Hector’s Beaked Whale share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Hector’s Beaked Whale

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spreadwing	Hector’s Beaked Whale
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.

Hector’s Beaked Whale

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.