Gemeine Binsenjungfer (Lestes sponsa)
• English name: Common Spreadwing
• German name: Gemeine Binsenjungfer
• French name: Leste fiancé
• Dutch name: Gewone pantserjuffer
• Swedish name: Pudrad smaragdflickslända
• Norwegian name: Vanlig metallvannymfe
• Finnish name: Sirokeijukorento
• Danish name: Almindelig kobbervandnymfe
• Italian name: Verdina boreale
• Czech name: šídlatka páskovaná
• Slovenian name: Obvodna zverca
• Bulgarian name: Северно кротиче
Gemeine Binsenjungfer
(Lestes sponsa)
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a fairly large but slender, metallic green or brown species of central and northern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Zygoptera (damselflies); family: Lestidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Lestes sponsa (Hansemann, 1823) | |
| Name genus | • Lestes: from Grk. λῃστής = robber, thief | |
| Name species | • sponsa: from Lat. sponsa = bride, betrothed | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • permanent water bodies with a rich vegetation | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 35-39 mm; hindwing: 17-24 mm | |
| Notes | • like all other (Chalco)lestes species, often spreads its wings at a 45° angle when at rest | |
| • (Chalco)lestes species overwinter as eggs (in diapause) rather than as larvae or adults | ||
| • very similar to the slightly larger and more robust L. dryas | ||
| Both sexes | Thorax | • the upper part of the thorax is metallic green or brown; the lower part is white/yellow |
| Abdomen | • the upper part of the abdomen is metallic green or brown; the lower part is white/yellow | |
| ➤ the abdomen is fairly slender compared to the similar L. dryas | ||
| Wings | • the pterostigma is dark | |
| Legs | • the legs are all black | |
| Male | Thorax | • in mature males the lower part of the thorax is covered with a whitish blue pruinescence |
| Abdomen | • in mature males S1, S2, S9 and S10 are extensively covered with a whitish blue pruinescence | |
| ➤ the lower appendages are straight and have narrow tips | ||
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is seldom covered by pruinescence (except in androchrome females) |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is seldom covered by pruinescence (except in androchrome females) | |
| ➤ the ovipositor does not extend beyond S10 | ||
| Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in Finland in 2010, 2012 and 2017 |
