Sweetflag spreadwing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sweetflag spreadwing
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Lestidae
Genus:	Lestes
Species:	L. forcipatus
Binomial name
Lestes forcipatus Rambur, 1842
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The sweetflag spreadwing (Lestes forcipatus) is a type of damselfly. It is part of the family called Lestidae, which are known as spreadwings. These damselflies live in North America. You can find them mostly in the eastern parts of Canada and the United States.

What Does a Sweetflag Spreadwing Look Like?

This damselfly is a medium size. It usually measures about 38 to 50 millimeters long. That's about 1.5 to 2 inches!

Male Sweetflag Spreadwings

Male sweetflag spreadwings have a dark or black body section called the thorax. This is the part where their wings and legs attach. The sides of their thorax can be tan or bluish. They also have light stripes across their shoulders. Their abdomen, which is the long tail-like part, is dark. It has a light gray tip. Older males might look a bit frosty or powdery. This is called being pruinescent.

Female Sweetflag Spreadwings

Female sweetflag spreadwings are built a bit stronger. Their bodies are dark to black. Both males and females might have a small light brown spot. This spot is on the underside of their thorax.

How to Tell Them Apart

It can be tricky to tell the sweetflag spreadwing apart from another damselfly. It looks very similar to the common spreadwing (L. disjunctus). Scientists look closely at small details to tell them apart.

Where Do Sweetflag Spreadwings Live?

Sweetflag spreadwings like to live near water. You can find them near ponds and marshes. They also live near streams that flow slowly. These places provide the perfect home for them.