NC Odonate Website

Related Species in LESTIDAE:		Number of records for 2024 = 7
Added in 2024-00-00 from a previous years = 3 (2019-04-08) (2023-08-00) (2023-09-24)

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Southern Spreadwing (Lestes australis) by Mark Shields

Compare with: Slender Spreadwing Carolina Spreadwing Sweetflag Spreadwing
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Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Southern Spreadwing

Flight Charts

Distribution

Essentially statewide, even to the coast (where many odonates are rare or absent). No records yet from several counties at the southwestern tip of the state, but probably present in all 100 counties. Also lacking a record for well-worked Dare County.

Abundance

Fairly common statewide, except for obviously very rare to rare in the southwestern mountains. Does not occur in swarms or in otherwise large numbers, as the peak one-day count is 35 individuals. Can be locally common in some places in the southeastern Coastal Plain.

Flight

A remarkably wide flight period, even into early winter. In the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, flies from as early as mid-February to mid-December (rarely near the coast into January). In the mountains, the flight occurs between early April and late September. Interestingly, the flight charts for all three provinces show a dip in records in the heat of summer. The species is not reported to be migratory, but is there some aestivation of individuals in summer, or is this pattern simply a result of different broods?

Habitat

Generally around ponds or small lakes, with much vegetation around their margins, including marshes.

See also Habitat Account for General Pond Shorelines

Behavior

This spreadwing tends to be slightly more obvious than most others in the genus, as the males may perch more readily on twigs and grass blades over water instead of deep within heavy vegetation.

Comments

Until recently, this was considered as a subspecies of the Common Spreadwing; however, that species was split into two species -- Southern Spreadwing and Northern Spreadwing (not in North Carolina). Mark Shields has provided a number of early winter records for the species at a few coastal ponds.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Common Spreadwing, Northern Spreadwing

Species account update: LeGrand on 2022-06-16 20:09:57

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Southern Spreadwing 38 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-10-06, Suggs Mill Pond Gamelands, Horseshoe Lake - 4PM ephemeral pond near campground		Photo 2 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-09-28, 2 miles SE of Clarkton - 11:30A in pond vegetation
	Photo 3 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Carteret, 2024-07-27, Salters Creek Gamelands Ponds, Sealevel - 1:20PM in pond vegetation		Photo 4 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Alexander, 2023-10-19, First Alexander County record in this database. Rocky Face Mountain Recreation Area.
	Photo 5 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Carteret, 2023-06-11, Croatan NF--Patsy Pond area		Photo 6 by: Mark Shields Comment: Richmond; C, 2023-04-05, Bagget Lake - female
	Photo 7 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Granville, 2021-05-20, Butner powerline clearing; photo by Lori Arent		Photo 8 by: B. Bockhahn, A. Early Comment: Stanly, 2021-04-01, Shallow pool in mountain saddle
	Photo 9 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-03-22, - Wet ditch off Corinth Rd. teneral male.		Photo 10 by: Mark Shields Comment: Hoke, 2020-10-18, Sandhills Game Land - males
	Photo 11 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-09-28, Hot Springs area		Photo 12 by: C. Taunton Comment: Wake, 2020-09-10, NC Museum of Art grounds
	Photo 13 by: Matt Guilin Comment: Cabarrus, 2020-05-19, Between Parks Lafferty Rd. and Rocky River along Rocky River Biking Trail - Female.		Photo 14 by: Sarah Stevens, Paul Hart Comment: Alamance, 2020-05-02, near Snow Camp
	Photo 15 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wilkes; P, 2019-05-26, Wilkes County Sustainable Rest Stop, US 421 near exit 282 - adult male		Photo 16 by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and party. Comment: Avery, 2019-05-21, Pond on private property that adjoins the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Avery County. - Males.
	Photo 17 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips, Cathy Songer Comment: Onslow, 2019-04-07, White Oak River Game Land, upper tract - 7 males, 3 females, including 2 tandem pairs		Photo 18 by: Mark Shields Comment: Beaufort, 2018-05-25, Voice of America Game Land - 2 males, 1 female
	Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2017-10-15, Holly Shelter Game Land		Photo 20 by: Vin Stanton, Janie Owens, Gail Lankford Comment: Madison, 2017-09-19, River Road, north of Hot Springs 35.92085° -82.87313° - Male
	Photo 21 by: Vin Stanton, Janie Owens, Gail Lankford Comment: Madison, 2017-09-19, River Road, north of Hot Springs 35.92085° -82.87313° - Male		Photo 22 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-20, Jones Lake State Park - adult male
	Photo 23 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Small streamhead pond about 150 m west of 17 Frog Pond, Sandhills Game Land		Photo 24 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2016-11-19, limesink ponds at Carolina Beach State Park - 17 lone males and 3 ovipositing pairs
	Photo 25 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2016-11-16, Stones Creek Game Land		Photo 26 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2016-05-27, Jones Lake State Park - female
	Photo 27 by: Mark Shields Comment: Carteret, 2016-05-15, ponds along Patsy Pond Nature Trail, Croatan National Forest		Photo 28 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2015-08-06, Carolina Beach State Park - at Grass Pond
	Photo 29 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2014-05-24, Small pond in Holly Ridge		Photo 30 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wake, 2012-09-12, Prairie Ridge Ecostation