Bug FAQSlender Spreadwing
Lestes rectangularis · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
The slender spreadwing is a long, thin damselfly with a black body, a pale blue face, and wings edged in yellow. Females are larger and have paler yellow on their wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
This damselfly is long and thin, and the female is larger than the male.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found along springs and drying ponds.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to eastern North America, covering eastern Canada and the United States. It is commonly called the slender spreadwing.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Wisconsin, Maryland, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the slender spreadwing look like?
It is a long, thin damselfly with a black body, pale blue face, and yellow-edged wings; females are larger and have paler yellow on the wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestes_rectangularis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.