Slender Spreadwing

Slender Spreadwing Lestes rectangularis, Maryland, June 2011.

Well, it’s mid-July and hotter than the Devil’s testicles here in the DC area… ….so a perfect time to stay indoors and look over some recent photos. These are of a Slender Spreadwing damselfly, Lestes rectangularis, taken last month. Ed Lam’s “Damselflies of the Northeast” (a fantastic and beautiful little book, by the way), illustrates ten species of spreadwing damselfly for eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, of which Slender Spreadwing is perhaps the most common and widespread. Grouped in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings are named for the unusual spread position in which they hold their wings when at rest. With wide-set googly blue eyes and pale mouthparts that look like buck teeth, this damsel is one dorky-looking bug.

Slender Spreadwing Lestes rectangularis, Maryland, June 2011.

Some of the distinguishing features of Slender Spreadwing include the whitish margins to the tips of the wings, visible in these images against the dark backdrop of the water behind, and the lack of a pale tip to the abdomen (at least in male specimens).