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Sticker of Dusky lilysquatter
Bug card No. 1437 of 4,939

Dusky lilysquatter

Paracercion calamorum

The dusky lilysquatter is a damselfly, a slim cousin of the dragonfly. The male has a sky blue tail with black marks and yellowish green eyes with little brown caps. It loves to sit flat on floating leaves in quiet ponds.

Lives in
Asia, from the far east of Russia to Japan, India and Indonesia, at ponds
Top speed
about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Damselflies have no sting and cannot hurt you.
What does it eat?
It catches small flying insects. Its babies live in the pond and hunt tiny water animals.
For real!Photo of Dusky lilysquatter
Picture by Rison Thumboor. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It likes still ponds full of water plants, where it rests flat on floating grass and lotus leaves.

2

The mother tucks her eggs into the curled-up edge of a lotus leaf or other floating plant.

3

Old males get covered in a bluish white powder that hides their markings.

4

The females have duller colours than the males.

you asked

Most asked questions about Dusky lilysquatter

?Is the dusky lilysquatter dangerous?

No. It is a gentle damselfly with no sting.

?What is the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly?

Damselflies are usually thinner and more delicate than dragonflies. Both catch insects and both start life in the water.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Paracercion calamorum
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Coenagrionidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Coenagrionidae
Lives on
Asia
Also known as
Dusky lily-squatter

Where the facts come from

  1. Paracercion calamorum (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Rison Thumboor. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Dragonflies and damselflies

Also at home here: Ponds, rivers and shores

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