Top 20 Most Common Insects in Los Alamos

The upperside of the wings are white and marked with black and gray, more so on the female than on the male. The underside of the hindwings is marked with extensive yellow-brown veins. The wingspan is 3 - 4.5 cm . In its pre-adult form, the egg is orange, and mature larvae are black dotted and bluish green to gray with a yellow dorsal, lateral and sublateral stripe. The pupa overwinters, and varies in color from blue-gray to cream.

The variegated meadowhawk is a small to medium-sized dragonfly with a slender abdomen, often reaching a length of 4.5 - 23 cm. The male is commonly dark brownish black with an abdomen of bright red, pink, and golden brown. The thorax may be marked with a pair of yellow dots on each side. The leading edges of the wings are marked with pinkish. The females are similar in color but not as brightly colored, with gray and yellow replacing the red of the male. Young variegated meadowhawks are much paler and mottled with pale green, pale yellow, golden brown, and orange.

Ischnura damula, the plains forktail, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in North America. The IUCN conservation status of Ischnura damula is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable.

The upperside of the wings is yellow with the tip of the forewing being black. Black bars extend along the trailing edge of the forewing and the leading edge of the hindwing. Male dainty sulphurs have an oval scent patch (called an androconial spot) in each hindwing bar. The androconial spot is reddish orange but fades to pale yellow after death. The underside of the wings varies depending on the season. Summer individuals have yellowish hindwings whereas winter individuals have greenish-gray hindwings. Both forms have black spots near the forewinge ng margin and have a yellowish-orapatch near the base of the forewing.

The four-spot (Libellula quadrimaculata) is one of the large dragonflies and reaches a body length of 4 to 4.5 centimeters with wingspan between 7 and 8.5 centimeters. Each of the four wings has a striking dark spot in the area of the distinctive transverse vein (nodus), after which the species received both its scientific and its trivial name. This dragonfly is also known for its mass migrations in swarms of impressive dimensions. The entire stock is not considered to be threatened.

The two-tailed swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) is easily identified with its yellow body and tiger-like stripes. It also has two tails, or spikes, coming off the back of its wings. Also, females are commonly larger and more brightly colored than males. They also have eyespots near the rear of their wings, which fool predators and give them a chance to escape.

Gnophaela vermiculata, sometimes known as the police-car moth or green lattice, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1864. It is found in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and in western parts of North America, from British Columbia to California, east to New Mexico and north to Manitoba. It is often mistaken to be the Gnophaela Latipennis because of the similarity in their pattern. The wingspan is about 54 millimetres (2.1 in). Adults are on wing in late summer and fly during the day. There is one generation per year. The larvae is born with yellower patches but eventually grows into the adult coloring. As larvae, they feed on Mertensia, Lithospermum and Hackelia species. Adults feed on nectar of various herbaceous flowers, including Cirsium and Solidago. It is often mistaken to be the Gnophaela Latipennis because of the similarity in their pattern. The forewing margins are what make them distinguishable.

The species is on the Red List of the IUCN as not endangered, year of assessment 2007, the trend of the population is stable according to the IUCN.

The scientific name Sympetrum pallipes was first validly published in 1874 by Hagen.

It is a large, brightly colored and active butterfly, rarely seen at rest; its wingspan is 8 - 10 cm, and its wings are yellow with black stripes, and it has blue and orange spots near its tail. It has the "tails" on the hindwings that are often found in swallowtails. The eggs are deep green, shiny, and spherical. Young caterpillars resemble bird droppings, and as they molt, they eventually turn bright green, with a pair of large yellow eyespots with black and blue pupils. The caterpillars molt five times, eventually reaching a length up to 5 cm before pupating.