Emerald Spreadwing vs European hamster

Lestes dryas compared with Cricetus cricetus

Key Differences

• Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable while European hamster is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Emerald Spreadwing	European hamster
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Lestidae	Cricetidae
Genus	Lestes	Cricetus
Species	Lestes dryas	Cricetus cricetus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

European hamster

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Emerald Spreadwing	European hamster
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

European hamster

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Russia, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark