Lestes elatus, commonly known as the emerald spreadwing, is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae. It is native to India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

Description: Lestes elatus is a medium-sized damselfly with greenish-blue eyes. Its thorax is brown on the dorsum, changing to yellowish-brown on the sides. The dorsum of the thorax is marked with a pair of narrow ante-humeral metallic green stripes that expand outwardly at the abdominal end, resembling a hockey stick. There are three tiny black spots on the lateral sides. In adults, the brown color of the thorax changes to bluish-white due to pruinescence. The abdomen is pale yellowish-brown at the sides in young individuals, marked broadly on the dorsum with metallic green up to segment 8. Segment 9 has a black basal half and a yellowish-brown apical half, while segment 10 is yellowish-brown. Like the thorax, the abdomen also undergoes color changes due to pruinescence in adults. The anal appendages are creamy yellow, broadly tipped with black in young males and entirely black in adults. The unique metallic thoracic stripes distinguish Lestes elatus from other species in its genus.
Habitat: This damselfly breeds in ponds, marshes, and paddy fields in the plains. It can often be found near water bodies, where it lays its eggs and completes its life cycle.