I’m learning that identification of individuals in the genus lestes presents a bit of a challenge, and that some simply can’t be identified in the field. This young male that came to the yard last summer is a case in point.

Characteristics

• Large (~2 inches long) damsel with wings held at 45° angle.
• Male (accessory sex organ on S2)
• Legs: Dark/black
• S9: Blue
• S8–S10: Swollen, whitish ventrally
• Wings: Dark stigma bordered with white
• Eyes: Brown, blue postocularly
• Face: Looks brownish
• Abdomen dorsal: S3–S6 Metallic greenish (aqua-marine sheen), S7–S8 brownish, S10 dark; white ventrally, dark band at base of segments
• Cerci: Hard to see what shape they are in photo taken from above, but they are clearly visible.

Amber-winged was suggested as a possibility, but I’m not sure:

• Pro: Coloration of S3-S6 (aqua-marine sheen); dark band at base of abdominal segments; abdomen white ventrally; pruinosity on S9; fairly robust appearance
• Con: Clearly visible cerci; lack of blue bands on lateral thorax of what apparently is NOT a mature individual; pruinosity ONLY on S9

Here are some photos, the quality of which isn’t good enough to do more than provide certainty about genus: