Spreadwing Damselfly (Lestes spp) - Too skinny to be a dragon

Spread-winged Damselfly (Lestes spp.)
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2011, all rights reserved

In early August, my yard is full of dragonflies and damselflies. The zip through the air like the little hunter-killer drones that they are, in search of their prey. When most of us see insects like the one pictured here whizzing about or perched on leaf, we think "dragonfly." However, those that are very thin bodied and have bulging eyes mounted off to the sides on smaller looking heads are most likely not dragonflies at all, but are instead part of the sub-order known as damselflies or Zygoptera.

Dragonflies tend to be more thick bodied, may have a noticeable flattening of the body near the tail end, have broader wings, and the eyes bulge less from the side of the head although the eyes of dragonflies may be a bit bigger than those of damselflies on close inspection. Entomologists can go into deeper detail and discuss the structure of the face, particular shapes and markings of the thorax, and the much larger jaws of the dragonfly, among other features, but for the most part, the one that looks like it would stand no chance in a fight with the other is the damselfly and the presumptive victor in such an imagined combat is the dragonfly. In fact, a few of the larger dragonflies will occasionally take damselflies as prey. If you want more detail on separating the sub-orders, there's a really good diagram here at the Liecester & Rutland Dragonfly Group website.

The insect pictured above, is clearly a spread-winged damselfly, spread-winged as opposed to narrow-winged because when it is at rest the fore and hind winds separate or spread out from each other. That gets us as far as the family Lestidae level of our taxonomy tree. From there there are two choices: Archilestes and Lestes for genus. Fortunately for amateurs like myself, there are only two species of Archilestes and neither of them lives in New Hampshire. That gets us quickly to the genus Lestes, of which there are between 15-17 species depending upon who you ask, says bugguide.net. Ten species of Lestes are known in New Hampshire according to the Dragonfly Survey Checklist at NH Fish & Game.

To definitively identify some of the spreadwing species, it is almost necessary to have the insect in hand for a very close inspection or catch it in sharp focus at just the right angles. We can, however, rule out some of the ten choices. So let's go through the list:

1. It is too late in the year to be a Southern Spreadwing which would not be expected after June. This one was photographed during the first week of August. It is not, therefore, Lestes australis.
2. The Spotted Spreadwing would be expected no earlier than August, but we're within that window by a few days. I cannot tell from the photos whether there are two brown spots on the lower sides of the thorax, if there were it would make a positive identification for Lestes congener. As it is, I don't see the spots at all, so I don't think it is a Spotted Spreadwing, but I can't definitively rule it out because the angles on the photos I have are not quite optimal for this. It could possibly be Lestes congener.
3. The Northern Spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus) is common in the area and in season. Appearance is close enough that it also can't be ruled out. This is actually my most likely candidate. It may very well be a Lestes disjunctus.
4. Its appearance does not readily match the Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas). It is not an Emerald Spreadwing.
5. It looks nothing like the Amber-winged Spreadwing (Lestes eurinus). It is not an Amber-winged Spreadwing.
6. The Sweetflag Spreadwing (Lestes forcipatus) female has a distinctively shaped ovipositor (bulbous at the end of the tail) which is not present in the specimen I photographed and the coloration does not match the male of the species. It is not a Sweetflag Spreadwing.
7. The Elegant Spreadwing (Lestes inaequalis) is much longer in the body than other spreadwings, and while I don't have another species alongisde this one to compare or a tape measure in the photo for reference, I am fairly confident in ruling this species out as a match.
8. The Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangluaris) is a possible. If it is of this species, it would have to be a female and we'd expect to see a distinct gray bar across the shoulder. I don't see that present, but can't definitively rule this one out. It is (just) possibly a Lestes rectangularis.
9. It is not a rare to New Hampshire Lyre-tipped Spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus). The appearance and coloration is not even close.
10. That leaves the Swamp Spreadwing (Lestes vigilax) as our final option. However, the Swamp Spreadwing is matellic-colored and that is enough to rule out this specimen.

In order of likelihood, then, our damselfly could be a Northern Spreadwing, a Spotted Spreadwing or a Slender Spreadwing. We can say that we have a Lestes spp., meaning we know it belongs to the genus Lestes, but we are not sure which species since we can't narrow it down to just one possibility.

Quickfacts about Lestes spp.
Range: There are Lestes throughout the United States, but specific species may be regional. I noted above the ten species of Lestes that are present in New Hampshire.
Diet: Damselflies, like dragonflies, are predators, eating other insects that it can catch out of midair while flying. Nymphs are also fierce predators eating aquatic bugs including mosquito larvae and anything else they can catch.
Lifecycle: Damselflies breed by laying eggs on plants that stick out of the water. Depending upon the species, the eggs may be laid in the water directly or above the waterline. In the latter case, the plant must die and fall into the water for the eggs to hatch. From the West Virginia Extension Service, we learn that damselfly and dragonfly nymphs go through approximately 12 instar stages over the winter and spring (Do you remember instars from our two-striped grasshopper discussion?) before it transforms into an adult damselfly the following summer. It does this without a pupal stage. Instead when the skin splits, it emerges in its metamophosed state. Once they've emerged from the water as adults, they live about six months. During breeding season they often return to the water, but may be found ranging quite far away at times - which would account for them in my yard.
Lifespan: Roughly 15-17 months in New Hampshire depending upon autumn temperatures and breeding season for the individual species.
Habitat: Generally lakes, swamps, rivers, and streams for breeding, but may wander away from these areas in search of feeding grounds as adults.
Of Interest: Despite their reputation, neither dragonflies nor damselflies can bite or sting human beings at all and can be handled without risk (to the person - the insect may be at substantial risk if not handled carefully).