NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 0

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Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus) by Doug Johnston

Compare with: Distinctive
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Note: these identification tips apply specifically to mature males; features may differ in immature males and in females.

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Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Eastern Ringtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Mainly found in the Piedmont and the adjacent southwestern Coastal Plain, but finally found in the mountains -- in 2011 in Madison and Buncombe counties (mostly close to the French Broad River), and in Graham County in 2014. (Range maps in references tend to show the western 60-80% of the state within the range, and Paulson [2011] even shows the entire state within the range). Likely occurs in the western Piedmont, where disturbingly lacking of records south and southwest of Yadkin County.

Abundance

Rare to locally uncommon in the central and eastern portions of the Piedmont. Rare in the Coastal Plain portion of the range, and obviously rare and local in the lower elevations of the mountains and in the western Piedmont. However, seems to be increasing in numbers and range in the lower Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain, with many records since 2020.

Flight

The flight in the Piedmont occurs between late May and mid-October, with the Coastal Plain flight slightly narrower in time -- about mid-June to late September. The mountain records fall in a narrow window between late June and early August, though the flight period there is certainly wider, and likely extends into September.

Habitat

Generally at brownwater rivers and wide streams, especially with riffles and somewhat fast flow. All records from the Coastal Plain seem to be close to brownwater rivers -- Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear.

See also Habitat Account for General Rivers and Large Streams

Behavior

Normally stays very close to rivers and streams; but they do stray to open fields, jeep roads, etc., well away from flowing waters. Perches on low vegetation, banks, rocks along shores of rivers and streams.

Comments

Until a few years ago, there were very few recent records for this "widespread" species. However, in the past several years there have been numerous records from the Neuse River just below the Falls Lake dam (Wake County), and near the Cape Fear River in the Lillington area (Harnett County). There are also a handful of recent records from Buncombe and Madison counties, mainly not far from the French Broad River. Mike Turner expanded the range eastward to Edgecombe County in summer 2017. This is one of the more "colorful" of the clubtails -- chartreuse and rusty colors, along with the standard black and yellow colors of most clubtails -- and for that reason, it may be the easiest clubtail in the state to identify.

State Rank

S3S4

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-09 16:03:29

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Eastern Ringtail 36 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Audrey Whitlock Comment: Johnston, 2024-06-03, site that borders the Neuse River, about 2 miles N of Smithfield		Photo 2 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; C, 2023-07-23, Campbell Pollinator Meadows and River Park - In a wheel
	Photo 3 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; C, 2023-06-07, Cape Fear Shiner County Park		Photo 4 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Stanly, 2022-08-14, - Female. Seen catching and eating a large cranefly (Tipula sp.)
	Photo 5 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; C, 2022-07-30, Harnett County Pollinator Meadow		Photo 6 by: Mike Turner Comment: Harnett; P, 2022-07-30, Cape Fear Shiner Park
	Photo 7 by: iNaturalist username Funnystuff2495 Comment: Cabarrus, Rob Wallace Park, 2021-07-09; Lat: 35.231418 Lon: -80.513397. iNaturalist record #2697433 - Male		Photo 8 by: Ami Thompson, Kevin Gaidurgis Comment: Nash, 2021-05-30, In Tar River, Battle Park - Rocky Mount - Nymph collected during very low water in riffles downstream of the dam
	Photo 9 by: Ami Thompson, Kevin Gaidurgis Comment: Nash, 2021-05-30, In Tar River, Battle Park - Rocky Mount - Nymph collected during very low water in riffles downstream of the dam		Photo 10 by: Ami Thompson, Kevin Gaidurgis Comment: Nash, 2021-05-30, In Tar River, Battle Park - Rocky Mount - Nymph collected during very low water in riffles downstream of the dam. Divergent wing sheaths.
	Photo 11 by: Mike Turner Comment: Caswell, 2018-08-28, Dan River @ NC 57		Photo 12 by: Mike Turner Comment: Davidson, 2018-07-31, Yadkin River @ US 64
	Photo 13 by: Mark Shields Comment: Anson, 2018-07-06, Pee Dee River; 2 km stretch upstream from Diggs Tract Access, by kayak		Photo 14 by: Mark Shields Comment: Richmond; P, 2018-07-06, Pee Dee River; 2 km stretch upstream from Diggs Tract Access, by kayak - 8 males, 1 female. Males patrolling down middle of river and perched on rocks
	Photo 15 by: Mike Turner Comment: Forsyth, 2018-07-02, Tanglewood Park		Photo 16 by: Mike Turner Comment: Forsyth, 2018-07-02, Tanglewood Park
	Photo 17 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2018-06-28, Davis Branch		Photo 18 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Yadkin, 2018-06-24, Park at Yadkin River/NC 67
	Photo 19 by: Mike Turner Comment: Yadkin, 2018-06-23, Pilot Mountain State Park - Yadkin River Section		Photo 20 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2017-09-23, William O. Huske Lock and Dam, Cape Fear River; 34.8349, -78.8252 - adult female
	Photo 21 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Yadkin, 2017-08-28, Yadkin River at NC 67 bridge - First county record		Photo 22 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Yadkin, 2017-08-28, Yadkin River at NC 67 bridge - First county record
	Photo 23 by: Mike Turner Comment: Edgecombe, 2017-08-04, Tarboro; Etheridge Pond; 35.8699, -77.5279 - female		Photo 24 by: Doug Johnston Comment: Buncombe, 2015-08-04, Sandy Mush Game Land
	Photo 25 by: J. A. Anderson Comment: Surry, 2015-06-18, Pilot Mountain State Park		Photo 26 by: George Andrews Comment: Union, 2014-08-23, Cane Creek Park - late afternoon
	Photo 27 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wake, 2012-09-27, Falls Lake-tailrace below the Falls Lake dam - female		Photo 28 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wake, 2012-08-02, tailrace below the Falls Lake dam - 1 each male and female
	Photo 29 by: Conrad Wernett, Ali Iyoob Comment: Wake, 2012-07-29, - 1 female, 3 males		Photo 30 by: Conrad Wernett, Ali Iyoob Comment: Wake, 2012-07-29 - 1 female, 3 males