Common Baskettail vs Epaulard

Epitheca cynosura compared with Orcinus orca

Key Differences

• Common Baskettail is Least Concern while Epaulard is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Baskettail	Epaulard
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Eklem bacaklılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Insecta (böcek)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Odonata (Kızböcekleri)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Corduliidae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Epitheca	Orcinus (Orcas)
Species	Epitheca cynosura	Orcinus orca

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Baskettail and Epaulard share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (hayvan)

Conservation Status

Common Baskettail

LC — Least Concern

Epaulard

DD — Data Deficient

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Unknown ?

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Baskettail	Epaulard
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	8.0 m
Average Weight	—	5.4 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Baskettail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Epaulard

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Common Baskettail

The common baskettail (<em>Epitheca cynosura</em>) is a dragonfly found across terrestrial and freshwater habitats of the United States. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting a stable and widespread population within its native range. <em>Epitheca cynosura</em> belongs to the family Corduliidae and is typically associated with ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving streams, where its aquatic larvae develop. Adults are often observed patrolling over open water and forest edges in search of prey and mates. The species is named for the basket-like egg mass that females carry at the tip of their abdomen before depositing eggs in water. Males often form feeding swarms, particularly in the morning hours, where they capture small flying insects. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Epaulard

The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas reach up to 9 meters and 6 tonnes and are found in every ocean from Arctic to Antarctic. Apex predators living in matrilineal pods with distinct dialects, hunting strategies, and cultural traditions that differ between populations. Some populations specialize in fish, others in marine mammals. No natural predators; orcas sit at the top of every marine food chain they inhabit.