Lestes forficula

Rambur, 1842

Rainpool Spreadwing

Lestes forficula, commonly known as the Rainpool Spreadwing, is a of in the Lestidae. It is distributed across the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America. The species holds its wings at approximately 45 degrees to the body when at rest, a characteristic trait of spreadwing damselflies that distinguishes them from most other damselflies. The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern with a stable .

Lestes forficula by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Lestes forficula 34308859 by Melissa McMasters. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lestes forficula: /ˈlɛstiːz fɔrˈfɪkjuːlə/

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Identification

As a member of the Lestes, this can be distinguished from most other by its wing posture at rest: wings are held spread at approximately 45 degrees to the body rather than folded together parallel to the . Specific identification features for L. forficula within the genus are not documented in the provided sources.

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Distribution

Recorded from the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America. Specific locality records include Villavicencio, Meta Department, Colombia.

Similar Taxa

Other Lestes speciesAll members of the Lestes share the characteristic spreadwing posture (wings held at ~45 degrees at rest), requiring examination of specific morphological features for -level identification.
Non-Lestidae damselfliesMost other hold wings folded together parallel to the body when at rest, unlike the spreadwing posture of Lestidae.

More Details

Conservation Status

The IUCN Red List categorizes Lestes forficula as Least Concern (), with the status last reviewed in 2018. The is considered stable with no immediate threats to survival identified.