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Sticker of Southern spreadwing
Bug card No. 4041 of 4,939

Southern spreadwing

Lestes australis
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The southern spreadwing is a slim damselfly that lives in North America. It belongs to a family called spreadwings. Like all damselflies, it hunts small flying insects.

Lives in
North America, near water
Top speed
about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Damselflies have no sting and do not hurt people.
What does it eat?
It catches small flying insects. Its babies live in the water and hunt tiny water animals.
For real!Photo of Southern spreadwing
Picture by Leila Dasher. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Spreadwings got their name because they often rest with their wings held open, not folded along the body.

2

Its babies grow up under water before they climb out and get their wings.

3

There are many of them and their numbers stay steady, so it is not in danger.

you asked

Most asked questions about Southern spreadwing

?Is the southern spreadwing dangerous?

No. Damselflies have no sting and are harmless.

?Where does the southern spreadwing live?

In North America, near ponds and other water.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Lestes australis
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Lestidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Lestidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Lestes australis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Leila Dasher. CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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