North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
Common Name: Scientific Name:

«      »

Sort Species by: Family   Scientific Name       [ Undocumented ]
Related Species in AESHNIDAE: Number of records for 2025 = 1

PDF has more details,
e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]		Phantom Darner (Triacanthagyna trifida) by Amy Padgett
Compare with: Regal Darner   Swamp Darner  
Identification Tips: Move the cursor over the image, or tap the image if using a mobile device, to reveal ID Tips.
Note: these identification tips apply specifically to mature males; features may differ in immature males and females.
Triacanthagyna_trifida

[Google images]     [Global Biodiversity Information Facility]      iNaturalist
Map
Click on county for list of all its records for Phantom Darner
Flight Charts
Distribution The coast and southeastern corner of the state only; ranging north to Dare County and inland to Robeson County. A recent photo record (2024) confirms that it is still present in NC and is probably not simply a mid- or late fall southern stray. Another set of photos in 2025 confirms the range north to mainland Dare County, the northernmost known report. These last two records also make it clear it is indeed a resident species in NC.
Abundance Apparently very rare or rare, known from just five counties. However, as it is crepuscular, special effort must be made to see it. Thus, its true abundance would be difficult to determine. After an absence of 50+ years without a conclusive record (last was in 1971), there is now documentation in 2024 for Carteret County and another in 2025 for Dare County.
Flight Perhaps the latest flying odonate in NC -- in terms of flight period, essentially only in the fall. The known NC dates range from 11 September to 4 November. The flight in GA is early October to mid-December.
Habitat Small wooded pools, typically near rivers, in heavily forested areas. The 2024 individual, a male, was flying near the ground "over a small wet sphagnum moss-filled depression" according to the iNaturalist comments. The 2025 individual was in a swampy area near a boardwalk.

See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Wet-Hydric Forests
Behavior The species flies only in fairly dark conditions, typically the last two hours of daylight, or on very dark, cloudy days. However, the 2024 individual was seen at 1:38 PM, on a partly cloudy day. The 2025 darner foraged along a forest trail and perched a few times at eye-level until disturbed.
Comments The species has a very thin abdomen and should be readily distinguished by shape if seen well, a rare circumstance in NC. Its very late flight season, plus crepuscular habits, means that a biologist is unlikely to see the species during casual field work, without a special effort directed just for it. Because there were no recent records, and it has been recorded from just four counties, the N.C. Natural Heritage Program has deemed it worthy of tracking (as of fall 2010) as a Significantly Rare species. The NC Rank was moved from S2? to S1? in November 2012, to highlight the lack of recent records. In 2020, the Natural Heritage Program moved the rank to SH (Historical). However, now that Amy Padgett has photographed it in fall 2024 in Carteret County and published this finding in the journal Argia (Padgett 2024), the NCNHP has moved the State Rank back to S1. On 11 September 2025, Joe Girgente posted two photos on iNaturalist, both of the individual when perched, to document this northern record.
State Rank S1
State Status SR
Global Rank G5
Federal Status
Synonym
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2025-09-15 16:08:39
Photo Gallery for Phantom Darner   4 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Phantom Darner, Triacanthagyna trifidaPhoto 1 by: Joe Girgente

Comment: Dare; Mainland, 2025-09-11, Alligator River NWR. Working the shaded SandyRidge Trail just before the boardwalk. iNaturalist #313590313 - Female. Consistently hung in eye-level vegetation along the trail when disturbed. 		Phantom Darner, Triacanthagyna trifidaPhoto 2 by: Amy Padgett

Comment: Carteret, 2024-11-04, northeast of Beaufort - 1:38PM; Catching insects in forested edge of pond
Phantom Darner, Triacanthagyna trifidaPhoto 3 by: Amy Padgett

Comment: Carteret, 2024-11-04, northeast of Beaufort - 1:38PM; Catching insects in forested edge of pond		Phantom Darner, Triacanthagyna trifidaPhoto 4 by: Amy Padgett

Comment: Carteret, 2024-11-04, northeast of Beaufort - 1:38PM; Catching insects in forested edge of pond