Migrant spreadwing
The migrant spreadwing is a slim damselfly with a shiny metallic green body. When it rests, it holds its wings open instead of folding them. It is slowly spreading north to new countries.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
The little spots near its wing tips have two colours. No other European spreadwing has that.
It was first seen in Britain in 2002, and in 2018 it raised babies there for the first time.
After mating, the pair stays joined while the female lays eggs on plants by the water.
The eggs rest all winter. The babies hatch in spring and grow up in only two months.
It can live in still water that is a little bit salty.
Most asked questions about Migrant spreadwing
?What is a spreadwing?
A kind of damselfly that rests with its wings held open, away from its body.
?Do damselflies sting?
No. Damselflies have no sting and are harmless to people.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Lestes barbarus
- Group
- Dragonflies and damselflies
- Family
- Lestidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Odonata > Lestidae
- Lives on
- Europe, Asia, Africa
- Also known as
- Southern emerald damselfly, Shy emerald damselfly
Where the facts come from
- Lestes barbarus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Christian Fischer. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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