The drama, intrigue and mystery of L.A.’s bug kingdom
There’s significant insect and spider diversity in L.A. To see it, slow down.
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An entire miniature world exists in the otherwise outsize city of L.A. But it takes patience — and perhaps a net — to appreciate it.
There are at least 3,000 to 4,000 insect and spider species in Los Angeles — and the figure is likely much higher.
Lisa Gonzalez, an entomologist and program manager of invertebrates for L.A. County’s Natural History Museum, said taking in this vast kingdom requires you to slow down while moving through the world.
These creatures are small and often need to stay still, hide or be camouflaged to survive, she said.
The payoff can be profound.
“There’s this whole hidden world that most people never get to see or don’t know about,” Gonzalez said on a hike we took in Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in northeast L.A. over the summer.
There are flies that resemble hefty bees, and bright green spiders that pounce on hapless pollinators. A black beetle frequently seen on L.A. trails sticks up its backside as a warning: They can emit a foul stench.
Check out the second installment of “AnimaLA,” a series spotlighting local wildlife, to get a crash course in L.A.’s lesser-known inhabitants.
There are at least 3,000 to 4,000 insect and spider species in Los Angeles — and the figure is likely much higher.
Lisa Gonzalez, an entomologist and program manager of invertebrates for L.A. County’s Natural History Museum, said taking in this vast kingdom requires you to slow down while moving through the world.
These creatures are small and often need to stay still, hide or be camouflaged to survive, she said.
The payoff can be profound.
“There’s this whole hidden world that most people never get to see or don’t know about,” Gonzalez said on a hike we took in Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in northeast L.A. over the summer.
There are flies that resemble hefty bees, and bright green spiders that pounce on hapless pollinators. A black beetle frequently seen on L.A. trails sticks up its backside as a warning: They can emit a foul stench.
Check out the second installment of “AnimaLA,” a series spotlighting local wildlife, to get a crash course in L.A.’s lesser-known inhabitants.
