Male dorsal (top) view
Note that abdomen (body) is long and slender

Female dorsal (top) view
Note that abdomen is shorter compared to wings than on male

Photo to left: Closeup of male's appendages at end of abdomen. Note that the cerci (outer pieces) come together to make a rectangular shape. That's where the Latin name "Lestes rectangularis" comes from. Also note how short the paraprocts (inner pieces) are.

Photo below left: Side view of male. This photo also shows how flexible the abdomen is!

Photo below right: This shows the face and the top of the thorax. Note the widely-spaced bright blue eyes, the turquoise face, the thin stripe in the center of the thorax, and the wider stripes on the sides of the thorax. These features are common to many spreadwings, so don't rely on them alone to ID the species.