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Lestidae: The Spreadwings
Family Facts:
Genus:
Archilestes
These are very
large damselflies with a more robust build than the other members of this family.
The coloration is tan to brown with black markings, with no metallic highlights
common in Lestes. They are usually found at slow streams. The females oviposit
in woody stems that overhang the water. The naiads live in pools and backwaters.
Archilestes californica- California Spreadwing
Genus:
Lestes
These are
large damselflies with elongate abdomens, though the females can appear somewhat
stout. The coloration is bronze or metallic green on the upper surface, and
yellow or pale green below, with older individuals becoming pruinose on the
thorax. The eyes are usually blue. These damselflies are usually found at ponds
or marshes with emergent vegetation. The females oviposit in the stems of emergent
aquatic plants such as sedges and bulrushes, usually well above the waterline.
They hatch out when the stems become submerged, either as water levels rise
or stems die and fall into the water.
Lestes congener-
Spotted Spreadwing
Lestes disjunctus- Common Spreadwing
Lestes dryas- Emerald Spreadwing
Lestes unguiculatus- Lyre-tipped
Spreadwing