Lestes

Lestes
	female Lestes sponsa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Lestidae
Genus:	Lestes ; Leach, 1815

Last updated December 31, 2023

Lestes is a genus of damselfly in the family Lestidae.^[2] The family hold their wings at about 45 degrees to the body when resting. This distinguishes them from most other species of damselflies which hold the wings along, and parallel to, the body when at rest.

Extant Species

The genus Lestes includes the following species:^[4]

Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
Lestes alacer Hagen, 1861	Plateau Spreadwing^[5]	Central America and North America
Lestes alfonsoi González & Novelo, 2001		Central America.
Lestes amicus Martin, 1910		Congo, Tanzania, Angola
Lestes angularis Fraser, 1929		India
Lestes apollinaris Navás, 1934		Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Lestes auripennis Fraser, 1955		Madagascar
Lestes auritus Hagen in Selys, 1862		Brazil
Lestes australis Walker, 1952	Southern Spreadwing^[5]	North America
Lestes barbarus (Fabricius, 1798)	Southern Emerald Damselfly,^[6] Migrant Spreadwing^[7]	Europe in a band across Spain, France, Italy and Greece to India and Mongolia.
Lestes basidens Belle, 1997		Surinam
Lestes bipupillatus Calvert, 1909		Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina
Lestes concinnus Hagen in Selys, 1862	Dusky Spreadwing	India, Southeast Asia as far as New Caledonia, and northern parts of Australia
Lestes congener Hagen, 1861	Spotted Spreadwing^[5]	Canada and in the United States
Lestes curvatus Belle, 1997		Surinam
Lestes debellardi De Marmels, 1992		Surinam
Lestes dichrostigma Calvert, 1909		Brazil
Lestes disjunctus Selys, 1862	Northern Spreadwing^[5]	United States and Canada.
Lestes dissimulans Fraser, 1955	Cryptic Spreadwing	Angola; Benin; Botswana; Côte d'Ivoire; Chad; Congo-Brazzaville; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Senegal; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes dorothea Fraser, 1924	Forest Spreadwing	south and northeast India to Thailand and Malaysia
Lestes dryas Kirby, 1890	Emerald Spreadwing,^[5] Scarce Emerald Damselfly,^[6] Robust Spreadwing,^[7] Turlough Spreadwing^[8]	central Europe and Asia from France to the Pacific and across North America
Lestes elatus Hagen in Selys, 1862		India, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Lestes eurinus Say, 1839	Amber-winged Spreadwing^[5]	Northeastern North America
Lestes falcifer Sjöstedt, 1918		Venezuela
Lestes fernandoi Costa, De Souza & Muzón, 2006		Brazil
Lestes forcipatus Rambur, 1842	Sweetflag Spreadwing^[5]	Canada and the United States
Lestes forficula Rambur, 1842	Rainpool Spreadwing^[5]	Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, and South America
Lestes garoensis Lahiri, 1987		India
Lestes helix Ris, 1918		Peru, Venezuela
Lestes henshawi Calvert, 1907		Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela
Lestes ictericus Gerstäcker, 1869	Tawny Spreadwing	Benin; Côte d'Ivoire; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gambia; Kenya; Malawi; Mali; Mozambique; Republic of South Africa; Senegal; South Sudan; Sudan; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes inaequalis Walsh, 1862	Elegant Spreadwing^[5]	eastern Canada and the United States
Lestes japonicus Selys, 1883		Japan, Korean Peninsula, Eastern Russia
Lestes jerrelli Tennessen, 1997		Ecuador
Lestes jurzitzai Muzon, 1994		Brazil
Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836)	Dark Emerald Damselfly^[9] or Dark Spreadwing^[7]	Europe into Central Asia and the Middle East
Lestes malabaricus Fraser, 1929		Sri Lanka, South India and Andaman Islands
Lestes malaisei Schmidt, 1964		Myanmar
Lestes minutus Selys, 1862		Brazil, Trinidad, Venezuela
Lestes nigriceps Fraser, 1924		Cambodia
Lestes nodalis Selys, 1891		Northeast India, Thailand and China.
Lestes numidicus Samraoui, Weekers & Dumont, 2003		Algeria
Lestes ochraceus Selys, 1862		Benin; Côte d'Ivoire; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; South Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes pallidus Rambur, 1842		Angola; Botswana; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ethiopia; Gambia; Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Senegal; Somalia; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes patricia Fraser, 1924		Western Ghats in India
Lestes paulistus Calvert, 1909		Brazil
Lestes pictus Hagen in Selys, 1862		Brazil
Lestes pinheyi Fraser, 1955	Pinhey's Spreadwing	Angola; Botswana; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Ghana; Malawi; Namibia; Nigeria; Tanzania; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes plagiatus (Burmeister, 1839)	Highland Spreadwing	Angola; Botswana; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Swaziland; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes praecellens Lieftinck, 1937		Malaysia
Lestes praemorsus Hagen in Selys, 1862		India to China and south to New Guinea
Lestes praevius Lieftinck, 1940		Sabah
Lestes pruinescens Martin, 1910		Madagascar
Lestes quadristriatus Calvert, 1909		Brazil
Lestes rectangularis Say, 1839	Slender Spreadwing^[5]	eastern Canada and the United States
Lestes regulatus Martin, 1910		Ethiopia
Lestes scalaris Gundlach, 1888		Caribbean
Lestes secula May, 1993		Panama
Lestes sigma Calvert, 1901	Chalky Spreadwing^[5]	Central America and North America
Lestes silvaticus Schmidt, 1951		Madagascar
Lestes simplex Hagen, 1861		Mexico
Lestes simulatrix McLachlan, 1895		Madagascar
Lestes spatula Fraser, 1946		Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
Lestes sponsa (Hansemann, 1823)	Emerald Damselfly,^[6] Common Spreadwing^[7]^[8]	central Europe and Asia from Spain to the Pacific
Lestes spumarius Hagen in Selys, 1862	Antillean Spreadwing^[5]	Caribbean Sea and North America.
Lestes sternalis Navás, 1930		Colombia
Lestes stultus Hagen, 1861	Black Spreadwing^[5]	United States
Lestes temporalis Selys, 1883		Japan
Lestes tenuatus Rambur, 1842	Blue-striped Spreadwing	Central America, Ecuador
Lestes thoracicus Laidlaw, 1920	emerald-striped spreadwing	Bangladesh, India, and Thailand
Lestes tikalus Kormoondy, 1959		Guatemala
Lestes trichonus Belle, 1997		Surinam
Lestes tricolor Erichson, 1848		British Guyana
Lestes tridens McLachlan, 1895	Spotted Spreadwing	Angola; Botswana; Côte d'Ivoire; Congo-Brazzaville; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ethiopia; Gabon; Kenya; Liberia; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Somalia; Tanzania; Togo; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes umbrinus Selys, 1891		Myanmar
Lestes uncifer Karsch, 1899	Sickle Spreadwing	Cameroon; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Republic of South Africa; Somalia; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes undulatus Say, 1840		Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile
Lestes unguiculatus Hagen, 1861	Lyre-tipped Spreadwing^[5]	United States
Lestes urubamba Kennedy, 1942		Peru
Lestes vidua Hagen, 1861	Carolina Spreadwing^[5]	United States
Lestes vigilax Hagen in Selys, 1862	Swamp Spreadwing^[5]	United States
Lestes virens (Charpentier, 1825)	Small Emerald Damselfly,^[9] Small Spreadwing^[7]	Algeria; Morocco; Tunisia
Lestes virgatus (Burmeister, 1839)	Smoky Spreadwing	Angola; Botswana; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Lestes viridulus Rambur, 1842	Emerald-striped Spreadwing	India

Fossils

† Lestes aquisextana
† Lestes arvernus
† Lestes brisaci
† Lestes ceresti
† Lestes conexus
† Lestes datangensis
† Lestes dianacompteae
† Lestes forsterii
† Lestes irenea
† Lestes leucosia
† Lestes ligea
† Lestes lutzi
† Lestes peisinoe
† Lestes plicata
† Lestes regina
† Lestes sieblosiformis
† Lestes statzi
† Lestes vicina
† Lestes zalesskyi

Related Research Articles

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Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. Damselflies have existed since the Jurassic, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

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The Lestidae are a rather small family of cosmopolitan, large-sized, slender damselflies, known commonly as the spreadwings or spread-winged damselflies.

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Calopteryx is a genus of large damselflies belonging to the family Calopterygidae. The colourful males often have coloured wings whereas the more muted females usually have clear wings although some develop male (androchrome) wing characteristics. In both sexes, there is no pterostigma.

Coenagrion is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets. Species of Coenagrion are generally medium-sized, brightly coloured damselflies.

Ischnura is a genus of damselflies known as forktails in the family Coenagrionidae. Forktails are distributed worldwide, including various oceanic islands. The males have a forked projection at the tip of the abdomen which gives the group their common name.

Chalcolestes parvidens, formerly Lestes parvidens, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name in English is the eastern willow spreadwing.

Austrolestes is a genus of medium to large-sized damselflies in the family Lestidae. Austrolestes damselflies sit with their wings folded completely back. Males are usually bright blue and black, the females duller. Members of this genus are found in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific islands.

Lestes sponsa is a damselfly with a wide Palaearctic distribution. It is known commonly as the emerald damselfly or common spreadwing. Both males and females have a metallic green colour and brown wing spots. It resides near pools with aquatic plants. When resting its wings are usually half opened.

Lestes dryas is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. Its common names include emerald spreadwing, scarce emerald damselfly and robust spreadwing. An alternate name in Ireland is the turlough spreadwing.

Chalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name is the willow emerald damselfly, the green emerald damselfly, or the western willow spreadwing. It has an elongated abdomen and pale brown spots on its wings and resides in areas of still water with overhanging trees.

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Diphlebia euphoeoides, sometimes spelled Diphlebia euphaeoides, known as the tropical rockmaster, is an Australian species of broad winged damselfly. It is one of a group known as the azure damselflies. It is found in Queensland (Australia) and Papua New Guinea. It typically occurs near lakes, waterfalls or streams at relatively low altitudes, and is occasionally seen near dry pools.

Lestes viridulus, the emerald-striped spreadwing, is a damselfly species in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is native to Bangladesh, India, and Thailand.

References

↑ Leach, W.E. (1815). "Entomology". In Brewster, D. (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. 9 (reprint 1830 ed.). Edinburgh: William Blackburn. pp. 57–172 [137].
↑ "Genus Lestes Leach, 1815". Australian Faunal Directory . Australian Biological Resources Study. 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
↑ Costantino D’Antonio and Francesca Vegliante. "Derivatio nominis libellularum europæarum" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 3 August 2010.
↑ Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2023). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama . Retrieved 14 Mar 2023.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "North American Odonata". University of Puget Sound. 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
1 2 3 "Checklist of UK Species". British Dragonfly Society . Retrieved 5 August 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Checklist, English common names". DragonflyPix.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
1 2 Brian Nelson; Robert Thompson (2004). The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies. Ulster Museum. ISBN 978-0-900761-45-4.
1 2 Jacques d'Aguilar; Jean-Louis Dommanget; René Préchac (1986). Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain, Europe and North Africa. Collins.

External links

Media related to Lestes at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Lestes at Wikispecies

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[Leach_1815_encyclopaedia-1] Leach, W.E. (1815). "Entomology". In Brewster, D. (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. 9 (reprint 1830 ed.). Edinburgh: William Blackburn. pp. 57–172 [137].

[AFD-2] "Genus Lestes Leach, 1815". Australian Faunal Directory . Australian Biological Resources Study. 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2017.

[3] Costantino D’Antonio and Francesca Vegliante. "Derivatio nominis libellularum europæarum" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 3 August 2010.

[4] Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2023). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama . Retrieved 14 Mar 2023.

[NAO-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "North American Odonata". University of Puget Sound. 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2010.

[BDS-6] 1 2 3 "Checklist of UK Species". British Dragonfly Society . Retrieved 5 August 2010.

[DPIX-7] 1 2 3 4 5 "Checklist, English common names". DragonflyPix.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.

[NHID-8] 1 2 Brian Nelson; Robert Thompson (2004). The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies. Ulster Museum. ISBN 978-0-900761-45-4.

[dAg-9] 1 2 Jacques d'Aguilar; Jean-Louis Dommanget; René Préchac (1986). Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain, Europe and North Africa. Collins.

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