San Francisco Forktail

Populations of this damselfly have been extirpated due to the destruction and degradation of habitat in the heavily urbanized area where it occurs. It lived in wetland habitat in Glen Canyon Park in the city of San Francisco until these moist spots were fragmented too extensively to support populations. After patches of wetland in the park were restored, the damselfly was reintroduced and persisted for a short while before disappearing once more. Though the reintroduction failed, it provided data about the habitat requirements for the insect. This had been designated an endangered species on the IUCN Red List because of its very small range, small populations within that range, and extensive destruction of its habitat. It has been downgraded to vulnerable status because it has been located at a few more sites, it has good dispersal ability, and it is relatively resistant to some of the forms of habitat degradation that it faces, such as pollution.