Southern Spreadwing at MNWP

Many Southern Spreadwing damselflies (Lestes australis) were observed around the stormwater management pond located at Mason Neck West Park (MNWP) during Fall 2016. The following gallery, presented in chronological order, showcases select specimens spotted during several photowalks at the park.

The first individual is a female, as indicated by her coloration and terminal appendages.

A Southern Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes australis) spotted at Mason Neck West Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a female.

27 SEP 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (female)

The next two photos show a couple of males, as indicated by their coloration and terminal appendages.

A Southern Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes australis) spotted at Mason Neck West Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a male.

27 SEP 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (male)

The following photo shows a mating pair “in tandem,” the post-copulatory phase when the male guides the female to egg-laying sites. The male is on top; the female on the bottom.

A mating pair of Southern Spreadwing damselflies (Lestes australis) spotted at Mason Neck West Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This pair is in tandem.

27 SEP 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (mating pair, in tandem)

The female uses her ovipositor to insert eggs into vegetation (endophytic oviposition).

27 SEP 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (mating pair, in tandem)

More males were spotted on consecutive days in early-October.

03 OCT 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (male)

04 OCT 2016 | MNWP | Southern Spreadwing (male)

The last individual is a female that I found resting/roosting in a field of grasses, quite a distance from the water. As it turns out, this female — spotted on 14 October 2016 — is also the last Southern Spreadwing observed at Mason Neck West Park during 2016. It’s worth noting the late-date for Southern Spreadwing at MNWP is consistent with the late-date of 15 October 2015 for the same species at Huntley Meadows Park.