Slender Spreadwing

Slender Spreadwing

Lestes rectangularis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chicago

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

24 Verified sightings at Chicago
16 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Slender Spreadwing

Lestes rectangularis is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known by the common name slender spreadwing. It is native to eastern North America, including eastern Canada and the United States.

This damselfly is long and thin. The body is black with a pale blue face, and the wings have yellow edges. The female is larger, with paler yellow on the wings. This species lives along springs and drying ponds. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Slender Spreadwing in Chicago?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slender Spreadwing sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 405th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Slender Spreadwing in Chicago?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slender Spreadwing in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Slender Spreadwing?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Slender Spreadwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chicago the best place to see a Slender Spreadwing?

Among the best

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Slender Spreadwing sightings, Chicago ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, under 5%), Boston (United States, under 5%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Slender Spreadwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Slender Spreadwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (24 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Chicago