General: Western Forktail Damselflies (Ischnura perparva) are very small damselflies. Males are dark above and blue-green below on the head and thorax. The top of the abdomen is dark, under side is light, and there is blue toward the tip.

Females are light blue with blue pruinosity (blue dust) overall, except the top of the head is black, and lower half is green.

These active creatures are harmless to humans, but they are voracious predators of small flying insects such as flies and mosquitoes. There are some good places for Watching Damselflies Around Las Vegas.

Taxonomy: Order Odonata, Suborder Zygoptera, Family Coenagrionidae.

Where to Find: Western Forktails occur throughout western North America, but they are uncommon around Las Vegas. I photographed these specimens in the Mojave Desert portion of Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument.