Lestes facts for kids

Quick facts for kidsLestes
	female Lestes sponsa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Lestidae
Genus:	Lestes; Leach, 1815

Lestes is a genus of damselfly in the family Lestidae. 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.

The name Lestes comes from the Greek word λῃστής (lēistēs) meaning predator.

Species

The genus Lestes includes the following species:

Lestes alacer Hagen, 1861 – Plateau Spreadwing
Lestes alfonsoi González & Novelo, 2001
Lestes amicus Martin, 1910
Lestes angularis Fraser, 1929
Lestes apollinaris Navás, 1934
Lestes auripennis Fraser, 1955
Lestes auritus Hagen in Selys, 1862
Lestes australis Walker, 1952 – Southern Spreadwing
Lestes barbarus (Fabricius, 1798) – Southern Emerald Damselfly, Migrant Spreadwing
Lestes basidens Belle, 1997
Lestes bipupillatus Calvert, 1909
Lestes concinnus Hagen in Selys, 1862
Lestes congener Hagen, 1861 – Spotted Spreadwing
Lestes curvatus Belle, 1997
Lestes debellardi De Marmels, 1992
Lestes dichrostigma Calvert, 1909
Lestes disjunctus Selys, 1862 – Northern Spreadwing
Lestes dissimulans Fraser, 1955
Lestes dorothea Fraser, 1924
Lestes dryas Kirby, 1890 – Emerald Spreadwing, Scarce Emerald Damselfly, Robust Spreadwing, Turlough Spreadwing
Lestes elatus Hagen in Selys, 1862
Lestes eurinus Say, 1839 – Amber-winged Spreadwing
Lestes falcifer Sjöstedt, 1918
Lestes fernandoi Costa, De Souza & Muzón, 2006
Lestes forcipatus Rambur, 1842 – Sweetflag Spreadwing
Lestes forficula Rambur, 1842 – Rainpool Spreadwing
Lestes garoensis Lahiri, 1987
Lestes helix Ris, 1918
Lestes henshawi Calvert, 1907
Lestes ictericus Gerstäcker, 1869
Lestes inaequalis Walsh, 1862 – Elegant Spreadwing
Lestes japonicus Selys, 1883
Lestes jerrelli Tennessen, 1997
Lestes jurzitzai Muzon, 1994
Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) – Dark Emerald Damselfly or Dark Spreadwing
Lestes malabaricus Fraser, 1929
Lestes malaisei Schmidt, 1964
Lestes minutus Selys, 1862
Lestes nigriceps Fraser, 1924
Lestes nodalis Selys, 1891
Lestes numidicus Samraoui, Weekers & Dumont, 2003
Lestes ochraceus Selys, 1862
Lestes pallidus Rambur, 1842
Lestes patricia Fraser, 1924
Lestes paulistus Calvert, 1909
Lestes pictus Hagen in Selys, 1862
Lestes pinheyi Fraser, 1955
Lestes plagiatus (Burmeister, 1839)
Lestes praecellens Lieftinck, 1937
Lestes praemorsus Hagen in Selys, 1862
Lestes praevius Lieftinck, 1940
Lestes pruinescens Martin, 1910
Lestes quadristriatus Calvert, 1909
Lestes rectangularis Say, 1839 – Slender Spreadwing
Lestes regulatus Martin, 1910
Lestes scalaris Gundlach, 1888
Lestes secula May, 1993
Lestes sigma Calvert, 1901 – Chalky Spreadwing
Lestes silvaticus Schmidt, 1951
Lestes simplex Hagen, 1861
Lestes simulatrix McLachlan, 1895
Lestes spatula Fraser, 1946
Lestes sponsa (Hansemann, 1823) – Emerald Damselfly, Common Spreadwing
Lestes spumarius Hagen in Selys, 1862 – Antillean Spreadwing
Lestes sternalis Navás, 1930
Lestes stultus Hagen, 1861 – Black Spreadwing
Lestes temporalis Selys, 1883
Lestes tenuatus Rambur, 1842 – Blue-striped Spreadwing
Lestes thoracicus Laidlaw, 1920
Lestes tikalus Kormoondy, 1959
Lestes trichonus Belle, 1997
Lestes tricolor Erichson, 1848
Lestes tridens McLachlan, 1895
Lestes umbrinus Selys, 1891
Lestes uncifer Karsch, 1899
Lestes undulatus Say, 1840
Lestes unguiculatus Hagen, 1861 – Lyre-tipped Spreadwing
Lestes urubamba Kennedy, 1942
Lestes vidua Hagen, 1861 – Carolina Spreadwing
Lestes vigilax Hagen in Selys, 1862 – Swamp Spreadwing
Lestes virens (Charpentier, 1825) – Small Emerald Damselfly, Small Spreadwing
Lestes virgatus (Burmeister, 1839)
Lestes viridulus Rambur, 1842

Gallery

Lestes barbarus
Lestes concinnus
Lestes elatus teneral male
Lestes virens male
Lestes viridulus