Lestes virens

As its name suggests, the Small Spreadwing is the smallest lestid in Europe. As with all Lestes species, it typically holds its wings at an angle of about 45 degrees when at rest. It is a very common and widely distributed species throughout Europe except the British Isles and Scandinavia. The distinctive features which set Lestes virens apart from its congeners include its much smaller size and slender build, the colour of its pterostigma (dark reddish brown with a fine white line at its lateral borders) and the limited pruinescence in the male which covers S9 and S10 but not S1 or S2.

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