All male damselflies have four terminal appendages, collectively called “claspers,” that are used to grab and hold female damselflies during mating: an upper pair of cerci (“superior appendages”); and a lower pair of paraprocts (“inferior appendages”).
All four claspers can be seen in some species of Broad-winged damselflies (Family Calopterygidae) such as Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata), and in some species of Spreadwing damselflies (Family Lestidae) such as Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis), Southern Spreadwing (Lestes australis), and Sweetflag Spreadwing (Lestes forcipatus).
In contrast, most photos of male Great Spreadwing damselflies (Archilestes grandis) only show the cerci; the paraprocts look like two small nubs that are out of sight, tucked underneath the cerci. The following photo of a male Great Spreadwing, spotted at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP), provides an uncommon peek at the paraprocts from the damselfly’s dorsal side (see photo inset).

11 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Bendy Straw”)
(See full-size versions of the annotated image, as well as the original photo, without annotation.)
I nicknamed this male Great Spreadwing “Bendy Straw” because of his slightly malformed abdomen.
Remember, all male dragonflies have three terminal appendages: an upper pair of cerci (“superior appendages”) and a lower unpaired epiproct (“inferior appendage”).
The last photo provides another peek at the paraprocts from the damselfly’s dorsal side (see photo inset).

21 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male)
(See full-size versions of the annotated image, as well as the original photo, without annotation.)
Related Resource: Odonate Terminal Appendages
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Archilestes grandis, cerci, claspers, Family Lestidae (Spreadwings), Great Spreadwing damselfly, Huntley Meadows Park, male, malformed, paraprocts, terminal appendages, vernal pool, wildlife photography
February 15, 2016 at 4:07 am |
[…] Several Great Spreadwing damselflies (Archilestes grandis) were spotted on 15 October 2015 near a vernal pool in the forest at Huntley Meadows Park. The following individual is a male, as indicated by its coloration, hamules, and terminal appendages. […]
September 28, 2016 at 6:07 am |
[…] 22SEP2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Great Spreadwing (male) […]
November 9, 2016 at 4:01 am |
[…] the side of its thorax, bluish-white coloration on abdominal segments 9-10 (S9-10), and distinctive terminal appendages […]
December 17, 2016 at 7:28 pm |
[…] Look closely at the full-size version of the following photo. Notice the schmutz on the male damselfly’s abdomen, located near the right cercus of his terminal appendages. […]
December 18, 2016 at 4:05 am |
[…] the side of its thorax, bluish-white coloration on abdominal segments 9-10 (S9-10), and distinctive terminal appendages […]
December 30, 2016 at 4:04 am |
[…] 22SEP2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Great Spreadwing (male) […]