U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Dragonflies and Damselflies Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Dragonfly and damselfly at Havasu National Wildlife Refuge There are twenty-five dragonfly and damselfly species listed at the 37,515 acre Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, one of more than 540 refuges throughout the United States. These National Wildlife Refuges are administered by the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service mission is to work with others “to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitat.”
General Information Havasu National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 37,515 acres adjacent to the Colorado River. Topock Marsh, Topock Gorge, and the Havasu Wilderness constitute the three major portions of the refuge. Dragonflies, an important Male blue-ringed dancer sedula indicator of water quality, can be found © Dave Welling Photography on the refuge, primarily in Topock Marsh Libellula luctuosa Tramea onusta and Topock Gorge. Dragonflies can be Widow Skimmer Red Saddlebags viewed on the refuge year-round, with hot, sunny days providing some of the L. pulchella Pond Damsels–Dancers (Coenagrionidae) best viewing. Sixty-three dragonfly and Twelve-spotted Skimmer Argia moesta damsel species have been identified in Powdered Dancer Mohave County, Arizona. Visitors are L. saturate encouraged to contact refuge staff with a Flame Skimmer Argia sedula description or photograph, if an unlisted Blue-ringed Dancer species is observed. Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher Enallagma civile Family Familiar Bluet Scientific Name Pantala flavescens Common Name Wandering Glider Ischnura barberi Desert Forktail Clubtails (Gomphidae) Pantala hymenaea Erpetogomphus compositus Spot-winged Glider Ischnura hastate White-belted Ringtail Citrine Forktail Perithemis intensa Stylurus plagiatus Mexican Amberwing Ischnura ramburii Russet-tipped Clubtail Rambur’s Forktail Sympetrum corruptum Darners (Aeschnidae) Variegated Meadowhawk This list provided by Kathy Biggs, Anax junius published author of three dragonfly Common Green Darner Sympetrum pallipes books, from her research on Dragonfly Striped Meadowhawk (Odonata) distribution in San Bernardino Rhionaeschna multicolor County, California; Mohave County, Blue-eyed Darner Sympetrum semicinctum Arizona; and Clark County, Nevada. Band-winged Meadowhawk Dragonfly photographs are used Skimmers (Libellulidae) with permission from Dave Welling, Erythemis colocata Tramea calverti professional photographer. Western Pondhawk Striped Saddlebags October 2012 Erythrodiplax basifusca Tramea lacerate Plateau Dragonlet Black Saddlebags