Overview
The Lestidae are a damselfly family chiefly of still and sluggish waters, including temporary ponds and swamps. The family is distributed worldwide with some 150 spp. There are two subfamilies. The Lestininae are represented in Australia only by
Lestes concinnus
. This northern Australian species ranges from India via south east Asia to New Caledonia. Like all members of its subfamily it perches with the wings half-open, making approximately a right angle, and as with many of its congeners the body is metallic green. The majority of Australian species belong to subfamily Sympecmatinae. There are 13 spp in two genera. Most have blue and black males and sandy coloured females.
Lestidae are distinguished by the anterior sector of the arculus branching close to the arculus (it branches closer to the nodus in most other zygopteran families), by the pterostigma being at least twice as long as it is wide, by the discoidal cell having a very acute point distally, and by the presence of one or more intercalary veins between the main veins in the outermost part of the wings.