Bug FAQEastern Willow Spreadwing
Chalcolestes parvidens · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
The Eastern Willow Spreadwing is a metallic-green damselfly that rests with its wings spread apart and has distinctive pale-brown pterostigma outlined in black, plus yellow markings on the thorax. It lives near water, often in the shade of trees, and lays eggs in bark incisions of overhanging branches rather than in submerged plants. Its range includes eastern and central Europe and several eastern Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus, Crete and Sicily.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The body is metallic green and it holds its wings away from the body when at rest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It perches with wings spread wide, usually in the shade of trees close to breeding water.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Eggs develop quickly for a few weeks before entering a diapause state.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
After a rapid early development, eggs enter a slow-growing diapause that allows them to overwinter.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to November in most of its range. On Cyprus the flight season extends from early April to January.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Also present on eastern Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus, Corsica, Crete and Sicily.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
In the field it cannot be reliably separated from the similar C. viridis. Both species are mainly metallic green, larger and darker than typical Lestes damselflies.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
How can I tell this damselfly apart from similar species?
It is very hard to distinguish it from C. viridis in the field because they look alike.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the Eastern Willow Spreadwing live?
It lives near water, often in the shade of trees, and lays its eggs in bark cuts of overhanging branches.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adults active?
Adults fly from May through November, and on Cyprus the season runs from early April to January.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcolestes_parvidens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.