Most damselflies fold their wings above their bodies when they are perched. There is, however, a small group of fairly large damselflies, known as spreadwings, that hold their wings partially open when perching.
I do not see spreadwing damselflies very often, so I was excited to spot this one on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I managed to capture shots from a couple of angles before it flew away, but did not get a shot that showed the thorax markings, which can help a lot with identification. I can tell for sure that the damselfly is female, but it is difficult to determine with certainty its species.
I posted the photos in a Facebook dragonfly forum and even the experts were not certain—females tend to lack the distinctive markings of the males and generally are harder to identify. They narrowed it down to a few possibilities and if I had to guess, I’d say this is a female Slender Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes rectangularis).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I like the angle on that second photo.
So that would be a general rule about damselflies. Learned something new.
Your dragonfly forum must be a very productive resource, and I’m sure they value you as a member in (very) good standing!
There are several groups that I am part of that cover most of the East Coast. The one that I rely on the most covers just Virginia. I am somewhat experienced, but am a neophyte compared with some other members. At least a few of them, for example, are willing to drive several hours in the hope of spotting a rare dragonfly–I am not quite that dedicated of crazy, depending on how you view their obsession.
Wonderful photographs, Mike. I can’t help you with the i.d., as I have yet to see my first spreadwing.
Your description of “fairly large damselflies” has kindled a spark of hope that my old eyes might be able to actually see one. I know, “large” is a relative term.
I’ll keep looking anyway.
Thanks, Wally. If you want to see an impressive spreadwing, you need to see a Great Spreadwing, which can be almost two and a half inches long. I haven’t seen one in a few years, but here is an image from the past. https://michaelqpowell.com/2015/10/12/great-spreadwing-damselfly-male/