Family: Lestidae

Spread-winged Damselflies

These photos supplement pages 67-73 of the Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the Upper Midwest. Information on the biology of Lestidae can be found on page 71. The gills on Lestidae can often be missing, so use the other characters and general body shape for identification. The main difference between Lestidae and Coenagrionidae is the width of the labium. Lestidae have a narrow labium (below). Coenagrionidae have a wide labium; click to compare with Coenagrionidae.