Emperor dragonfly vs Monarch butterfly
They share the class Insecta but sit in different orders: Emperor dragonfly in Odonata, Monarch butterfly in Lepidoptera.
Photo: Quartl · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a emperor dragonfly and a monarch butterfly?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- They share the class Insecta but sit in different orders: Emperor dragonfly in Odonata, Monarch butterfly in Lepidoptera.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- They have been recorded in 17 of the same countries (the emperor dragonfly in 100 in total, the monarch butterfly in 97). Shared records include zoos, so this does not mean they meet in the wild.
Side by side
| Emperor dragonfly | Monarch butterfly | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Anax imperator | Danaus plexippus |
| Family | Aeshnidae | Nymphalidae |
| Order | Odonata | Lepidoptera |
| Weight | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 100 | 97 |
Full record: Emperor dragonflyFull record: Monarch butterflyCompare other animals