Slender Spreadwing Damselfly – Lestes rectangularis
This species is relatively small, with a body length of around 30-35 mm, and its distinguishing feature is the black and yellow striped pattern on its thorax.
The male and female are sexually dimorphic. The thorax of the male Slender Spreadwing Damselfly is blue-gray in color with two yellow stripes, while the thorax of the female is brown with yellowish-brown stripes.
Like all damselflies, L. rectangularis has a complex life cycle involving an aquatic nymph stage and a terrestrial adult stage.
The nymphs are aquatic and can be found in slow-moving bodies of water such as ponds and marshes.
Nymphs hunt for small insects and other invertebrates and take around 1-2 years to develop into adults. Adults emerge in mid to late summer and live for around 2-4 weeks.
Tree Encyclopedia / Insects & Spiders
Online since 2002
