Bug FAQMigrant Spreadwing
Lestes barbarus · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
Also called: Shy Emerald Damselfly, Southern Emerald Damselfly
The migrant spreadwing is a metallic-green damselfly that rests with its wings spread and has distinctive two-coloured pterostigmata. It lives around still or slightly brackish water, breeding in coastal dunes and spreading northward across southern Europe into central Asia. Eggs overwinter, hatch in spring and develop into adults within two months, with flight from March to October in the south and June to August in the north.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Looks like other Lestes damselflies with a metallic green body, but its wing spots are bicoloured, which is a key ID feature.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found near stagnant or slightly salty water, especially in coastal dune pools.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs enter diapause over winter, hatch in spring, and larvae grow for about two months before emerging as adults in late spring.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In the southern part of its range it flies from March to October; farther north it is mainly seen June to August. It has been breeding on the Channel Islands since 1995, at the edge of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to a band from southern Europe across to India and Mongolia, with isolated groups in North Africa and a northward expansion.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike L. sponsa and L. dryas, it has bicoloured pterostigmata and distinctive male abdominal appendages and female ovipositor.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell migrant spreadwing apart from other Lestes damselflies?
Check the wing spots to they are two-coloured, and look at the male’s tail appendage and the female’s egg-laying organ, which differ from those of L. sponsa and L. dryas.
Source: Wikipedia
When are migrant spreadwings active?
In southern areas they are on the wing from March through October, while in northern areas they are mainly seen from June to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this species live?
It inhabits still or slightly brackish waters, especially coastal dune pools, across a band from Spain and France through Italy and Greece to India and Mongolia, with isolated populations in North Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestes_barbarus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.