Sydlig kobbervandnymfe (Lestes barbarus)
• English name: Migrant Spreadwing
• German name: Südliche Binsenjungfer
• French name: Leste sauvage
• Dutch name: Zwervende pantserjuffer
• Swedish name: Vandrande smaragdflickslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Sydlig kobbervandnymfe
• Italian name: Verdina barbara
• Czech name: šídlatka brvnatá
• Slovenian name: Grmiščna zverca
• Bulgarian name: Двупетнисто кротиче
Sydlig kobbervandnymfe (Lestes barbarus)
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, pale yellow-green-brown species which occurs throughout Europe except much of the British Isles and the north-east | |
Classification | • suborder: Zygoptera (damselflies); family: Lestidae | |
Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
Scientific name | • Lestes barbarus (Fabricius, 1798) | |
Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
Habitat | • still, shallow waters and wetlands which dry up in the course of summer | |
Dimensions | • typical body length: 40-45 mm; hindwing: 20-27 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 | ||
Both sexes | Thorax | • the upper part of the thorax is metallic green or brown; the lower part is beige/yellow |
• the antehumeral stripe is pale and wide | ||
Abdomen | • the upper part of the abdomen is metallic green or brown; the lower part is beige/yellow | |
Wings | ➤ the pterostigma is bicoloured: dark brown on the inside; creamy white on the outside | |
Legs | • the legs are pale with a black longitudinal stripe | |
Male | Thorax | • pruinescence is limited to the wing base and the lower part of the thorax |
Abdomen | • pruinescence on the abdomen is limited to (S9 and) S10 | |
Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in the south of Italy |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen and head, and the female's front wing in dorsal view.