Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis (Rambur, 1842)S3 (Watch list)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Odonata   >   Family Lestidae   >   Genus Archilestes   

Status:

Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis) is the largest species of damselfly in North America by total mass. This robust species prefers slow, wooded streams (Paulson, 2011) or sometimes small fishless ponds (B.C., pers. obs.). It occurs through much of Maryland, but is absent from the Eastern Shore (Richard Orr's Dragonflies and Damselflies of Maryland and District of Columbia).

There are 108 records in the project database.

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A Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/24/2013). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Prince George's Co., Maryland (10/6/2015). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/24/2013). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/23/2020). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/24/2013). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

A male Great Spreadwing with prey in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/21/2013). Photo by Steve Scholnick. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/14/2008). Photo by Steve Collins. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/27/2022). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Cecil Co., Maryland (9/20/2022). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/4/2013). (c) Rick Cheicante, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Rick Cheicante. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (10/10/2023). (c) Dave Roberts, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Dave Roberts. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) mcnod, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by mcnod via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Garrett Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) apistopanchax, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Washington Co., Maryland (10/7/2007). (c) Hans Holbrook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/4/2013). (c) Rick Cheicante, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Rick Cheicante. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Hans Holbrook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Garrett Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Kyle Klotz, all rights reserved. Photo by Kyle Klotz. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Hans Holbrook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Harford Co., Maryland (6/24/2018). Photo by Matt Hafner. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/1/2015). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Harford Co., Maryland (9/20/2022). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Baltimore City, Maryland (9/4/2006). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/28/2014). Photo by Steve Scholnick. (MBP list)

A female Great Spreadwing in Baltimore City, Maryland (8/26/2011). Photo by Pauline Horn. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Lexin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Lexin via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Great Spreadwing about to be preyed upon by a Green Heron. Certainly a very rare image from Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/13/2012). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/4/2013). (c) Rick Cheicante, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Rick Cheicante. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Hans Holbrook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

Great Spreadwing in Garrett Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Kyle Klotz, all rights reserved. Photo by Kyle Klotz. (MBP list)


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