Elegant spreadwing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elegant spreadwing |
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Lestes virgo Calvert, 1897 |
The Elegant Spreadwing (scientific name: Lestes inaequalis) is a type of damselfly. Damselflies are amazing insects, a bit like small, slender dragonflys. This particular damselfly belongs to a group called "spreadwings" because of how they hold their wings when resting. You can find the Elegant Spreadwing in eastern parts of North America, including Canada and the United States.
What It Looks Like
The Elegant Spreadwing is a fairly large damselfly. It can grow to be about 45 to 60 millimeters long. That's about the length of your finger!
Male Elegant Spreadwings are quite colorful. Their main body part, called the thorax, is a shiny metallic green and yellow. Their long, thin abdomen is mostly green with a cool blue tip. Older males might look a bit dusty or frosty. This is because of a natural waxy coating called pruinescence.
Female Elegant Spreadwings look a little different. They usually have a thicker body than the males. Their colors are also not as bright or shiny.
This damselfly looks a bit like two other species. It is larger than the Swamp Spreadwing (L. vigilax). It also looks like the Amber-winged Spreadwing (L. eurinus), but the Elegant Spreadwing does not have amber-colored wings.
Where It Lives
Elegant Spreadwings like to live near fresh water. You can often find them around streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. They sometimes prefer to live in wooded areas where there are trees overhead. This gives them some shade and protection.
What It Eats
The Elegant Spreadwing is a predator. This means it hunts and eats other creatures. It is known to feed on smaller damselflies. They are important parts of the food web in their habitats.
