Grote pantserjuffer (Lestes macrostigma)
• English name: Dark Spreadwing
• German name: Dunkle Binsenjungfer
• French name: Leste à grands ptérostigmas
• Dutch name: Grote pantserjuffer
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Verdina delle saline
• Czech name: šídlatka velkoskvrnná
• Slovenian name: Južna zverca
• Bulgarian name: Дългопетнисто кротиче
Grote pantserjuffer (Lestes macrostigma)
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a large species, typically associated with shallow brackish water, with scattered populations in central and southern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Zygoptera (damselflies); family: Lestidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Vulnerable | |
| Scientific name | • Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Notes | • like all other (Chalco)lestes species, often spreads its wings at a 45° angle when at rest | |
| • can reproduce in water with high salinity | ||
| • (Chalco)lestes species overwinter as eggs (in diapause) rather than as larvae or adults | ||
| Habitat | • shallow, often brackish water e.g. in coastal areas; often with Sea Club Rush (Bolboschoenus maritimus); often the only damselfly/dragonfly species in this habitat | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 39-48 mm; hindwing: 24-27 mm | |
| Both sexes | Thorax | • the (lower part of the) thorax is covered by an extensive, whitish pruinescence but in immature animals the thorax is dark blue, without pruinescence |
| Abdomen | • S1, S2 and S8-10 are covered by an extensive, whitish pruinescence, while S3-S7 have some pruinescence on the lower edge; in immature animals the abdomen is dark blue, without pruinescence | |
| Wings | ➤ the pterostigma is black and very large | |
| Legs | • the legs are all black | |
| Photographs | • our photos below were made on the west coast of Sardinia, the south of Spain and northern Greece |
LineDrawing: the female's wings in dorsal view and the female's ovipositor in lateral view.
