Synlestes selysi is a species of Australian damselfly in the family Synlestidae, commonly known as a forest needle. It is endemic to eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland, where it inhabits streams.
Synlestes selysi is a large to very large damselfly, coloured a metallic green-black with pale markings. It perches with its wings partially or fully outspread.
Etymology The genus name Synlestes is derived from the Greek σύν (syn, "together"), combined with Lestes, a genus name derived from the Greek λῃστής (lēstēs, "robber").
In 1917, Robin Tillyard named this species selysi, an eponym honouring Michel Edmond de Sélys Longchamps (1813–1900), a Belgian scientist widely regarded as the leading authority on dragonflies and damselflies.
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See also List of Odonata species of Australia
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