Western Willow Spreadwing

Chalcolestes viridis

The Western Willow Spreadwing is a beautiful dragonfly with long, slender wings. It loves to flutter around wetlands and ponds, where it can be seen resting on plants or flying gracefully.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Western Willow Spreadwing has a metallic green or bronze body, often with a frosted blue tip on the male's abdomen. Its clear wings are held partially spread out from its body when at rest, unlike many other damselflies which keep them folded together.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLestidaeGenusChalcolestes

Western Willow Spreadwing

Interesting facts

Wow! Each of their compound eyes has thousands of tiny lenses to help them spot prey!

Wow! Male spreadwings sometimes 'guard' females even after mating to protect their eggs!

Wow! Their young, called nymphs, can use a kind of jet propulsion to escape danger underwater!

Wow! They are like tiny flying guardians, showing that nearby wetlands are healthy!

Special abilities

Western Willow Spreadwing can lay eggs inside plant stems above water, which helps protect its young from aquatic predators.

Western Willow Spreadwing nymphs have special feathery gills at their tail end that help them breathe underwater.

Western Willow Spreadwing can swiftly catch tiny insects in mid-air, allowing them to hunt effectively for food.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 50-70 mm
Size: 35-45 mm
Lifespan: 30-90 days
Flight Speed: 8 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

Tiny flying insects are their favorite meal, caught expertly in the air!

Age differences: Nymphs eat aquatic invertebrates, while adults hunt flying insects.

Primary Foods

Midges
Mosquitoes
Small flies
Aphids

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Adults and nymphs are prey for waterfowl.

eaten by

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Adults can be caught by amphibians near water.

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Hunts mosquitoes, helping control their populations.

depends on

White Willow

Salix alba

Lays eggs inside the stems of willows and other water plants.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.