Bug FAQSweetflag Spreadwing
Lestes forcipatus · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
The Sweetflag Spreadwing is a medium-sized damselfly, about 38 to 50 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 38 to 50 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found near ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is hard to tell apart from the common spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Maine.
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
Where am I likely to find this spreadwing?
Near ponds, marshes and slow-running streams in the eastern United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetflag_spreadwing
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 2026-10-23.