Spread-winged Damselflies
Family Lestidae
Genus Lestes
Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis)



Flight season: late June to late September.

Population: common. This damselfly can often be found in wooded areas along the trans-Canada Trail, not far from water. It has also been recorded at the Vanderwater Conservation Area, the marshy north shore of Stoco Lake, the Stoco Fen, and a marsh south of Bridgewater Road about 1 km east of Actinolite.

Length: about 45 mm. In addition to its long abdomen (particularly so in males), this spreadwing may be identified by the pale rims at the tips of its wings.


Tweed, Ontario, the Moira River near the walking bridge and dam: rock-bottomed river with fast flowing water, rapids and emergent rocks, but also quiet pools and backwaters. The shoreline vegetation is mostly trees with a few small clearings supporting tall grasses and wildflowers.
Male Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis)
July 31, 2009


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A male Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis) and its claspers. Unlike other Lestes species, Slender Spreadwing males seldom exhibit much pruinosity on their terminal abdominal segments (August 31, 2009).



Tweed, Ontario, about ½ km west of town, a marsh bordering the trans-Canada Trail: typical local marsh with Cattails, sedges and other emergent vegetation, various small willows, alders, dogwoods and some Tamarack.
Teneral male Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis) and its terminalia (June 21, 2010).


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Female Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis) – although the abdomen is more robust than that of the male, it is still relatively long compared to other Lestes species and S9 is distinctly less than half the length of S7 (July 13, 2010).


Tweed, Ontario, the Moira River, east of town near Collin's Point: rock-bottomed river with fast flowing water, rapids and emergent rocks, the shoreline vegetation consists of wooded areas and clearings supporting tall grasses and wildflowers.
Female Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis)
September 26, 2014