Lestes sponsa
Encyclopedia
Lestes sponsa, is a damselfly
, with a wide Palaeartic distribution. It is known commonly as the Emerald Damselfly or Common Spreadwing. Both males and females have a metallic green colour and when resting its wings are usually half opened.
or Large Red Damselflies
, but they are more likely to be seen on misty, rainy days then those species. When disturbed they usually do not fly very far away, landing on another perch a few yards away. Their habit of perching with their wings half open is characteristic of the family Lestidae
and gives rise to their other common name of spreadwings. A population can consist of several hundred insects.
L. sponsa mate in the usual dragonfly manner and will form tandem pairs away from water. Copulation lasts from 30-60 minutes and after mating they stay paired for egg-laying. The female usually lays eggs in submerged vegetation and whilst egg-laying the female can remain submerged for 30 min. The female pierces the tissue of aquatic plants and inserts her eggs. Occasionally females lay their eggs in vegitation above the water surface in places that will become submerged when the water level rises. The eggs start to develop and will continue to develop for the next few weeks. Then due to changing environmental conditions the development of the eggs slows down. In this state of slow development, called diapause
the eggs overwinter. L. sponsa is an obligatorly univoltine species.
The prolarva stage hatches from the egg in spring. This is a specialised short lived stage often lasting only minutes. The prolarva has no limbs and cannot feed but it can move by jumping or wriggling and if a prolarva is not in water when it hatches it will move about until water is found. Once in water the prolarva molt to the second stadia stage. The larvae are active and actively hunt prey leading to rapid larval growth. The larvae molt from one stadia to the next until growth is complete; in dragonflies the larval stages are the only stages where growth occurs. The number of stadia is not fixed and in good conditions the last larval stage, called F-0 can be reached in as little as 8 weeks.
The adults emerge in July and are on the wing until September. Adults are not sexually mature when they emerge and need a week or more, depending on conditions, before they can breed. In L.sponsa in Japan the length of the summer maturation period is correlated with temperature and lasts on average 20 days in the north where it is cooler up to 120 days in the hotter south. This stops egg laying early in summer, which could lead to egg not entering diapause and hatching in autumn. This would disrupt the normal cycle as larva hatched in autume would not survive the winter.
All species in the genus Lestes
are very similar and are hard to separate in the field. The shapes of the anal appendages are characteristic. In L. sponsa the anal appendage is black with the superior appendage (which are the ones on the outside) with two internal teeth. The inferior appendage is elongated and cylindrical. In northern Europe five species of Lestes
occur whilst in Europe as a whole there are six species, so identification can be problematical and it is best to look at as many features as possible.
L. sponsa is a typical member of the genus with a green metallic body and wings held away from the body at rest. The abdomen is 26-33mm long and the wings are 19-23mm long. Mature males have a powder blue colour on the prothorax and on segments 1-2 and 9-10 of the abdomen. Mature males have blue eyes. Females lacks the blue colour. Immature males also lack the blue pruinescence
and have greeny brown eyes. The pterostigma of immature males are almost white.
species that is common.
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
, with a wide Palaeartic distribution. It is known commonly as the Emerald Damselfly or Common Spreadwing. Both males and females have a metallic green colour and when resting its wings are usually half opened.
Behaviour
One of the larger damselflies, this species is most common in July and August. It is often found by ponds and lakes, and is very rarely seen along flowing water. Emerald Damselflies like to perch among reeds, their colour providing good camouflage. They are not as strong fliers when compared to other common damselflies such as the Common BlueCommon Blue Damselfly
The Common Blue Damselfly or Northern Bluet is a European damselfly.The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm...
or Large Red Damselflies
Large Red Damselfly
The Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula is a European damselfly. It is one of the first damselflies to emerge in the year.-Identification:Females occur in many colour forms, but all have yellow bands around the abdominal segments....
, but they are more likely to be seen on misty, rainy days then those species. When disturbed they usually do not fly very far away, landing on another perch a few yards away. Their habit of perching with their wings half open is characteristic of the family Lestidae
Lestidae
Lestidae is a rather small family of cosmopolitan, large-sized, slender damselflies. They are of the order of the dragonflies and are commonly known as "Spreadwings." There are two subfamilies in Lestdae. The first subfamily is Lestinae. Damselflies in Lestinae rest with their wings partly open...
and gives rise to their other common name of spreadwings. A population can consist of several hundred insects.
L. sponsa mate in the usual dragonfly manner and will form tandem pairs away from water. Copulation lasts from 30-60 minutes and after mating they stay paired for egg-laying. The female usually lays eggs in submerged vegetation and whilst egg-laying the female can remain submerged for 30 min. The female pierces the tissue of aquatic plants and inserts her eggs. Occasionally females lay their eggs in vegitation above the water surface in places that will become submerged when the water level rises. The eggs start to develop and will continue to develop for the next few weeks. Then due to changing environmental conditions the development of the eggs slows down. In this state of slow development, called diapause
Diapause
Diapause is the delay in development in response to regularly and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions. It is considered to be a physiological state of dormancy with very specific initiating and inhibiting conditions...
the eggs overwinter. L. sponsa is an obligatorly univoltine species.
The prolarva stage hatches from the egg in spring. This is a specialised short lived stage often lasting only minutes. The prolarva has no limbs and cannot feed but it can move by jumping or wriggling and if a prolarva is not in water when it hatches it will move about until water is found. Once in water the prolarva molt to the second stadia stage. The larvae are active and actively hunt prey leading to rapid larval growth. The larvae molt from one stadia to the next until growth is complete; in dragonflies the larval stages are the only stages where growth occurs. The number of stadia is not fixed and in good conditions the last larval stage, called F-0 can be reached in as little as 8 weeks.
The adults emerge in July and are on the wing until September. Adults are not sexually mature when they emerge and need a week or more, depending on conditions, before they can breed. In L.sponsa in Japan the length of the summer maturation period is correlated with temperature and lasts on average 20 days in the north where it is cooler up to 120 days in the hotter south. This stops egg laying early in summer, which could lead to egg not entering diapause and hatching in autumn. This would disrupt the normal cycle as larva hatched in autume would not survive the winter.
Description
Lestes
Lestes is a genus of damselfly in family Lestidae. The family hold their wings at about 45 degrees to the body when resting. This distinguishes them from most other species of damselflies which hold the wings along, and parallel to, the body when at rest....
are very similar and are hard to separate in the field. The shapes of the anal appendages are characteristic. In L. sponsa the anal appendage is black with the superior appendage (which are the ones on the outside) with two internal teeth. The inferior appendage is elongated and cylindrical. In northern Europe five species of Lestes
Lestes
Lestes is a genus of damselfly in family Lestidae. The family hold their wings at about 45 degrees to the body when resting. This distinguishes them from most other species of damselflies which hold the wings along, and parallel to, the body when at rest....
occur whilst in Europe as a whole there are six species, so identification can be problematical and it is best to look at as many features as possible.
L. sponsa is a typical member of the genus with a green metallic body and wings held away from the body at rest. The abdomen is 26-33mm long and the wings are 19-23mm long. Mature males have a powder blue colour on the prothorax and on segments 1-2 and 9-10 of the abdomen. Mature males have blue eyes. Females lacks the blue colour. Immature males also lack the blue pruinescence
Pruinescence
Pruinescence, or pruinosity, is a "bloom" caused by pigment on top of an insect's cuticle that covers up the underlying coloration, giving a dusty or frosted appearance. The pruinescence is commonly white to pale blue in color, but can also be gray, pink, purple, or red; these colors may be...
and have greeny brown eyes. The pterostigma of immature males are almost white.
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Habitat and distribution
Preferred habitats of this species are pools, ponds and moorlands, it is a species of still or very slow flowing water. The Emerald Damselfly has a large Palaeartic distribution, and is found in a band across central Europe and Asia from France to the Pacific. It is not found in the far north in Europe and Asia or in the extreme south, being absent from much of Spain, southern Italy and Greece. It probably occurs in some areas of north Africa; where it occurs around the Mediterranean it is found at altitude. In Great Britain it is the only LestesLestes
Lestes is a genus of damselfly in family Lestidae. The family hold their wings at about 45 degrees to the body when resting. This distinguishes them from most other species of damselflies which hold the wings along, and parallel to, the body when at rest....
species that is common.
See also
- List of damselflies of the world (Lestidae)
- Lestes dryasLestes dryasLestes dryas is a species of damselfly which is found across Europe, Asia and North America. In North America it is known as the Emerald Spreadwing and this name is becoming more widely used in Europe. In Britain, it is very rare so its common name is the Scarce Emerald Damselfly. An alternate name...
- Lestes barbarusLestes barbarusLestes barbarus is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has the typical appearance of a Lestes damselfly; it has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name in English is the Migrant Spreadwing but in Great Britain it is often known as the Southern...
- Lestes virensLestes virensThe Small Emerald Damselfly or Small Spreadwing, Lestes virens is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has the typical appearance of a Lestes damselfly; it has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body....
- Lestes macrostigmaLestes macrostigmaLestes macrostigma is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. Its common name is the Dark Emerald Damselfly or Dark Spreadwing and it has the typical appearance of a Lestes damselfly; it has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. It is usually found in brackish...
- Lestes viridisLestes viridisChalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body...
- Lestes parvidensLestes parvidensChalcolestes parvidens, formerly Lestes parvidens, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name in English is the Eastern Willow Spreadwing.-Taxonomy:...
External links
- British dragonfly Society http://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/emerald-damselfly