Östliche Weidenjungfer
(Lestes parvidens)

The Eastern Willow Spreadwing is a metallic green or brown damselfly. As with all Lestes species, it typically holds its wings spread out at an angle of about 45 degrees when at rest. Its distribution in Europe is virtually limited to Italy, the Balkans and Greece, unlike its much more common and widespread stable mate the Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestes viridis). Lestes parvidens is said to have a somewhat darker pterostigma than L. viridis, the male's appendages are more extensively white with only the very tips black, and the females have 6-8 large teeth on their ovipositor (rather than the 10-14 smaller teeth in L. viridis).

For an overview of the Eastern Willow Spreadwing's distribution in Europe, hover your mouse pointer over the map symbol .
With the authors' permission we have based this map on data published in Kalkman et al. (2010).

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