Bug FAQSmall Spreadwing
Lestes virens · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
Also called: Small Emerald Spreadwing, Small Emerald Damselfly
The Small Spreadwing is a metallic-green damselfly that rests with its wings spread away from its body and is smaller than the similar Lestes sponsa. The species is univoltine; after mating the female lays eggs on plant stems above water, the eggs develop quickly and then enter diapause.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has a metallic green body and rests with its wings held away from the body. It is smaller than the similar Lestes sponsa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in lakes, ponds, ditches and bogs that have plenty of vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on insects while perched in dense vegetation at pond edges where they also mate and lay eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It has one generation per year (univoltine). Females lay eggs on plant stems above water; the eggs develop quickly then enter a dormant diapause stage.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June through September, sometimes as early as April in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It looks very similar to other Lestes species; L. sponsa and L. dryas have black anal appendages.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
When can I see Small Spreadwings?
Adults fly from June to September, but in the southern part of their range they may appear as early as April.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a Small Spreadwing apart from other damselflies?
Look for a metallic green body, wings held away from the body at rest, and a size smaller than Lestes sponsa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the Small Spreadwing live?
It lives around still waters such as lakes, ponds, ditches and bogs that have abundant vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the Small Spreadwing eat?
Adults hunt small insects while perched in dense vegetation at the edges of ponds.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestes_virens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.