Dragonflies & Damselflies
Blue-eyed Darner
© Mitch Heindel, 2005
Blue Dasher
A PRELIMINARY LIST OF KMHRP ODONATA
Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, in the
city of Los Angeles contains the largest
natural (original) lake in the entire city.
It has been preserved to the degree that
it is the "last stand" for extensive
freshwater marsh and riparian habitat, in a
reasonably natural state, in the L.A. basin.
While undoubtedly some species of ODES
have disappeared from the site due to
pollution and habitat alteration, it
appears to still have resonably good
ODE diversity to this day.
The following species are those known
from KMHRP. The real exploration of the
"ODES" (short for the order Odonata,
which is Dragonflies and Damselflies)
at the site only began in 2002, so, the
list is preliminary at best.
But, it is a start at least. Hopefully
someone will pick up the ball and run!
There is next to nothing known about
things like what are local flight periods,
etc. of the particular species.
Variegated Meadowhawk
Spot-winged Glider
In 2003, ten of the dragon species listed above,
were seen in 2.5 hours on May 20, and ten of
these species were seen again on July 19
in about four hours at the park! That's very
respectable ODE diversity! Ten species of dragons,
findable in a day, at just this one site,
right here in the city of Los Angeles! Amazing!
Blue Dasher - young male
female Blue Dasher
Red Saddlebags
Green Darner - a very old one
Look at those wings!
Green Darner - pair ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawk - pair ovipositing
Flame Skimmer - male
Flame Skimmer - female
Wandering Glider
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer and Blue Dasher - EYE CANDY!
Typical Damselfly (a Bluet)
Arroyo Bluet
Photo by Jess Morton
DAMSELFLIES - suborder Zygoptera
List is tentative, since ID is more
difficult than larger dragons.
Bluet sps. (Enallagma sps.)
scanned Bluets
Black-fronted Forktail
Vivid Dancer - teneral male
Pacific Forktail + pair in wheel
The brown is a drying tip of a leaf
Eight species at very minimum have been
found in the first year of looking, with
the most rudimentary skills and knowledge.
I would be very surprised if less than
TEN species of Damselflies (Zygops) are
present at KMHRP.
Here are a couple Madrona Marsh damsels ...
Black-fronted Forktail
Some are very iridescent appearing yellow above
Spreadwing of some type
Their wings aren't ALWAYS spread.
Between Dragons (12 species) and
Damsels (8+ species so far) combined,
there are 20 ODE species at minimum
living at or using the KMHRP currently.
Two dozen species are probably occurring!
If you know of Dragon or Damsel records
from KMHRP (or Bixby Slough, Harbor Park,)
please let me know, so we can continue to
build the already impressive list for the site.
It would be nice to make a calendar that
shows which species are seen which months.
No Damsels were detected at the site from
mid-Oct. 2002 through early March 2003,
indicating an extended period when flying
adult Damsels are not to be seen locally.
Other species fluctuate as hatches - or more
properly emergences, of flying adults occur.
Variegated Meadowhawks are abundant in May
and September but scarce in late July and
early August - between emergences (?) I think.
Some come out early first thing after sunup
like Blue Dasher and Blue-eyed Darner, and
Flame Skimmers and Saddlebags wait for it
to really heat up before showing themselves.
What sort of migrations do we get locally?
We have much to learn about these amazing beasts!
To learn about or identify Dragons and
Damsels ("Odes"), try one of the following
references. The first is better for beginners,
and covers Damsels & Dragons. The second is
national in scope, but only covers Dragons.
The third is new and required for the serious.
Common Dragonflies of California -
A Beginners Pocket Guide, by Kathy Biggs,
Azalea Creek Publishing, 2000
The above is an excellent starter guide!
Get it first, and when your ID questions go
beyond its scope, get the new Manolis book!
Dragonflies through Binoculars by Sidney Dunkle
Oxford University Press, 2000
Covers all Dragons of Canada and the U.S.
A new must-have book has just come out,
which very thoroughly covers (and is called)
"Dragonflies and Damselflies of California,"
by Tim Manolis, 2003. It is an incredible book.
You can order it at the website below.
A great Ode website exists as a companion
to the first mentioned book.
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Flame Skimmer
Variegated Meadowhawk
Blue-eyed Darner
the end
All contents © Mitch Heindel 2005-2008