Spreadwings Close to Home

Lyre-tipped Spreadwing

The spreadwing damselflies are some of my favourite damselflies (along with the jewelwings and Violet Dancers and Aurora Damsels and Vesper Bluets and Rainbow Bluets…can I help it that there are so many beautiful and unique damselflies to admire?!) These past few weeks I’ve been able to see five different species, all close to home. Normally when I want to see spreadwings I think of Petrie Island, which usually has an abundance of them, but it seems that all but one of the nine species we have in Ottawa can be found elsewhere, in places like the Richmond Lagoons and Bruce Pit. The only species I haven’t found anywhere other than Petrie Island is the Swamp Spreadwing.