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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Damselflies (Zygoptera) » Spreadwings (Lestidae) » Archilestes » California Spreadwing (Archilestes californicus)
Photo#227547
California Spreadwing Damselfly - Archilestes californicus - male
Copyright © 2008 Arthur Scott Macmillan

California Spreadwing Damselfly - Archilestes californicus - Male
Sunnyvale, Santa Clara County, California, USA
September 19, 2008
Size: 54mm
I am fairly confident of this ID from description and photos on the California Odes website. The only other CA spreadwing damsel, the Great Spreadwing could be a possibility, but this seems a better match.
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Contributed by Arthur Scott Macmillan on 21 September, 2008 - 3:51pm

Agreed: California Spreadwing Damselfly
The two you mentioned are the only ones that large in CA, but there are a few other smaller spreadwings according to Dragonflies of California and Common Dragonflies of the Southwest. Photos there confirm the ID.
… Ron Hemberger, 21 September, 2008 - 5:44pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the correction!
It's like this: There are only two spreadwing damselflies in the genus Archilestes. There is however another spreadwing Genus in California, Genus Lestes, which has five or so members. At any rate, this is my first spreadwing, and I was actually very impressed. It is the largest damselfly I have seen, to date.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 23 September, 2008 - 6:17am login or register to post comments

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