Bug FAQSpotted Spreadwing
Lestes congener · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
Also called: North American Spotted Spreadwing, Dark Lestes
Spotted spreadwing damselflies are 32 to 42 mm long, with males a bit larger than females. They have a slaty-gray thorax with two dark side spots and a bronze-tinged abdomen that ends in two pale segments. Adults are on the wing from late July through mid-September and they develop in light-brown larvae up to 25 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The thorax is slaty gray on top and shows two elongated dark spots on the side-ventral area. The abdomen is gray-black with bronze reflections, and the final two segments are a lighter gray.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males measure about 35 to 42 mm, while females are slightly smaller at 32 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They live beside permanent or temporary ponds, flooded river banks, slow-moving water, marshes, and swamps.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae are light brown and can grow up to 25 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from late July until mid-September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is widespread across Canada and the United States, except for the southeastern states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Colorado, California, Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Utah.
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
When can I see spotted spreadwing damselflies?
Adults are typically on the wing from late July through mid-September.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are they?
Males reach about 35 to 42 mm and females about 32 to 38 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestes_congener
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.