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Species account
Robust Spreadwing
(Lestes dryas)
Kirby (1890)
Spreadwings (Lestidae)
ROSP
24776
Sortmærket Kobbervandnymfe (dk)
Lestes Recio (es)
Kraftig Smaragflickslända (se)
Synonyms: Emerald Spreadwing (us) Scarce Emerald Damselfly (gb)
Measurements:
To 35-40mm Ab 26-33mm Hw 19-28mm
Flight period:
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Identification:
Similar species:
Life stages:
Females, exclusively in tandem?, insert eggs into plant material normally above water level (dried out or wet) but sometimes the pair submerges and eggs overwinter under water. Eggs overwinter and larvae develop to imago in few months (same season).
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent large part of British Isles, north Ireland, northern Fennoscandinavia, E Spain, Corsica, Sardinia and Greece. Also present Morocco and through a broad front from Turkey, Ukraine and Russia eastward to Japan and N America, where mainly present northern Lower 48 and southern Canada across the continent. In Denmark present in all regions, but less so on Fyn, Lolland and Falster.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Status:
LC(global)
LC(eu) LC(dk). Common in Denmark and Sweden but declining in the south.
Host plants:
Vejbred-Skedeblad (Alisma plantago)
Almindelig Sumpstrå (Eleocharis palustris)
Siv (Juncus)
Star (Carex)
Strandkogleaks (Scirpus maritimus)
Almindelig Sumpstrå (Eleocharis palustris)
Siv (Juncus)
Star (Carex)
Strandkogleaks (Scirpus maritimus)
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562
(2 photos)
2021-08-01 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂♀ Species characters not very clear here, but the female ovipositor does seem to protrude beyond the tip of S10, which indicates this species rather than Common Spreadwing. |
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1032
(1 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago ♂♀ Mating, or attempting to. |
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2177
(1 photos)
2023-08-12 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂♀ Tandem. |
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3020
(2 photos)
2024-08-03 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂♀ Barbarus-renden. Tandem. |
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3019
(1 photos)
2024-08-12 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂♀ Barbarus-renden. Egg-laying. Does the pruinosity on S2 on the male makes you wonder whether it could be a sponsa instead? Well, so did I, but still I think the border between dark and whitish is too strong for that male. And the female with a strong golden shoulder stripe is confirmed by the extensive coppery markings on the pro-thorax and the ovipositor, though in an odd position, does look to run long passed the edge of S10. Good. |
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561
(2 photos)
2021-08-01 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ The other of the two common spreadwings to be found on Amager, though rather localized. |
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772
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♂ With very little pruidescence on S1 and S2. Actually seen at the water hole in the open field toward the parking lot. |
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774
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♂ Water hole in open field toward parking lot. |
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775
(2 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♂ Not sure if it is the same as 772, but I don't think so. |
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1864
(1 photos)
2022-06-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1863
(1 photos)
2022-06-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1033
(2 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago ♂ Two different males. Weaker angle lower appendages, but still inward. |
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1031
(1 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1019
(1 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1018
(1 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1602
(1 photos)
2023-06-20 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Granathøj. |
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2176
(1 photos)
2023-08-12 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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2703
(5 photos)
2024-05-21 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Strandengen - fonscolombii-stedet. Young. An early individual taking advantage of the sunny weather that we've had for a good while. My first impulse when I got my camera on the animal was that it looked very much like a Chalcolestes viridis [Grøn Kobbervandnymfe] because of the pale wing mark and the overall green abdomen and thorax. But that species is not to be expected in this part of Denmark yet [will come within the next 10 years very likely] and it is also too early for it to fly, no matter what. The weak and very pale translucent lower appendages also confused me at first, but zooming in, it was beyond doubt that their spatulate shape could only belong to a young dryas. |
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2727
(5 photos)
2024-05-30 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Dryas-renden, Svenskeholmvej. I'm probably the guilty one, disturbing it while it was waiting for the wings to harden. Then it panicked and fell into the water, where I picked it up, with a questionable result as the consequence. I put it on a branch, but the wings don't look good for further advancement into a Healthy Robust Life. Android photos. Hands on |
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2762
(1 photos)
2024-06-07 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Dryas-renden. Many dryas were flying here today and still no sponsa [Almindelig Kobbervandnymfe]. But when I saw these lower appendages at first I took if it for a sponsa, since they look rather straight toward the tip. But I've had a similar animal earlier that was more advanced and showed the clear pruinosity pattern of dryas, why I have to believe that this one too is a dryas. |
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3021
(1 photos)
2024-08-03 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Barbarus-renden. |
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3024
(1 photos)
2024-08-06 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Barbarus-renden. |
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3018
(1 photos)
2024-08-12 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Barbarus-renden. Consuming one of the many crane flies that abound in these days. Most animals flying up from the ditch when walking through, are indeed one of these insects. Notice how the distal part of S2 doesn't look all that clean coppery as normally is required for the species. In fact it looks almost like it does on old sponsa males. But the shoulder free thorax and the robustness of the animal, and the fact that the distal part of S2, despite all, still looks more coppery clean than is normally seen on sponsa, point toward dryas. So. |
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776
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♀ |
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773
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♀ Classic. Water hole in open field toward parking lot. |
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771
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♀ You might argue that the ovipositor should be visible beyond the appendages, but I think the abdomen is angled downward hiding it. The lack of should stripes is also good for Robust. |
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1697
(1 photos)
2023-06-24 Horreby Lyng (Falster), Denmark Imago ♀ The hint of a golden shoulder line might suggest a sponsa (Almindelig Kobbervandnymfe), but the rectangular marking on S1 and the robust! look and the apparently long ovipositor are better for dryas. |
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2194
(2 photos)
2023-08-12 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Without knowing it exactly I would guess that spider webs are among the most dangerous constructions the smaller dragonflies have to be aware of. Here the spider was sitting eagerly at its corner post waiting for its prey to calm down. But I'm biased, have chosen my side, and felt no remorse while interfering with the course of nature, grabbing the damselfly gently and pulling it away from a certain death. Hands on |
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2178
(3 photos)
2023-08-12 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Svenskeholmvej. Pooha action. Not the first time I witness that the excrement continues to dangle in a thread after release. |
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2175
(3 photos)
2023-08-12 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ A new batch emerging now. |
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2949
(2 photos)
2024-08-01 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Barbarus-vandhullet ved Birkedammen. Stronger build than sponsa, this is what mostly makes me call this a dryas. The objective field characters: length of ovipositor and the shape of the pattern on S1 are difficult to judge from this angle. Notice that old individuals are more likely to show the golden shoulder stripe, which is normally only seen on sponsa females. There have been a few dryas in this waterhole together with a good number of barbarus [Sydlig Kobbervandnymfe], but I haven't noticed any interaction the two between. With few or no female barbarus present, I would have expected it to be tempting for a male to instinctively try his luck with a female dryas. |
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3022
(1 photos)
2024-08-03 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Barbarus-renden. A funny bluish color cast to the underside of the thorax and the base of the hind legs. I'm not sure if it is an artefact or genuine. |
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3023
(2 photos)
2024-08-06 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Barbarus-renden. |
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3017
(2 photos)
2024-08-12 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Barbarus-renden. Eating prey. Old animal but still without any hint of the golden shoulder stripe, which is otherwise often to see on old individuals. |
Apparently the American females in general show a well-developed golden shoulder stripe, just like we see it in Denmark/Europe on sponsa, but not on dryas. Here it is more common for it to be completely absent or showing a fraction only distally on the thorax. The same goes for the American male; it doesn't seem to show the same extension of pruinosity on S1-2 as the Danish/European animals. Leading to the fair question from a still novice, if they are really the same species?