| The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina | |||||||||||
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| North Carolina's 189 Odonate species |
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| Common Name: | Scientific Name: |
| Sort Species by: Family Scientific Name [ Undocumented ] |
| Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE: | Number of records for 2025 = 0 | |
| Added in 2025-00-00 from a previous year = 1 | ||
| PDF has more details, e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen. [View PDF] | Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) by Rob Van Epps
[Google images] [Global Biodiversity Information Facility] iNaturalist | ||
| Map | |||
Click on county for list of all its records for Dusky Dancer | |||
| Flight Charts |  |
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| Distribution | Throughout the mountains and Piedmont. Essentially absent from the Coastal Plain, though present along the Fall Line in a few such counties. Two previous reports from the Sandhills/Coastal Plain have now been deleted, as they are sight reports only and are believed to be in error. Oddly, the range map in Paulson (2011) shows it nearly "absent" in the Piedmont of both VA and SC. |
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| Abundance | Fairly common in the Piedmont and mountains (at least locally); nowhere truly common, as the peak one-day count is just 17 individuals. Absent, or nearly absent, from the Coastal Plain (including the Sandhills), except near the Fall Line. |
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| Flight | In the mountains and Piedmont, mainly late May or early June to late October (Piedmont) and to late September (mountains). Each province has a very early record for mid-April. The few Coastal Plain records are from early July to late September only, meaningless for establishing a flight period at the upper edge of that province. |
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| Habitat | A variety of rivers and creeks; scarce at ponds or lakes. Often on rocks in the creek or river. |
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| Behavior | Most other dancers are often found well away from creeks, rivers, or ponds. However, this species normally stays close to its shaded creek, perching on rocks or along vegetation along the shore -- where their dark coloration can make them much less conspicuous than other dancer species. |
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| Comments | The seeming near-absence of records from the VA and SC Piedmont is puzzling, considering that it not only has been found in nearly all such counties in NC, but that there are some single-day counts in double-digits. One must presume that it is being overlooked, especially in VA. |
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| State Rank | S4 |
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| State Status | |||
| Global Rank | G5 |
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| Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 11:33:20 | |||
| Photo Gallery for Dusky Dancer 32 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown. |
Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox | ||
 | Photo 1 by: B. Bockhahn Comment: Richmond; C, 2024-11-06, Pee Dee Game Lands |  | Photo 2 by: Steve Hall and Harry LeGrand Comment: Chatham, 2024-06-04, |
 | Photo 3 by: Mike Turner Comment: Richmond; P, 2023-06-03, Great Pee Dee River-portage below Blewett Falls dam - ovipositing in tandem |  | Photo 4 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Lincoln, 2022-07-16, Catawba River at Rte. 73 bridge and boat access point. |
 | Photo 5 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Orange, 2022-07-04, Johnston Mill Preserve, New Hope Creek - Includes 2 pair in copulation; photo by Lori Arent |  | Photo 6 by: John Petranka Comment: Orange, 2021-09-04, NHCBS, Hollow Rock Nature Park, West of Pickett Road, New Hope Creek |
 | Photo 7 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2021-07-06, River Road, Hot Springs |  | Photo 8 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Wake, 2020-08-28, Wooten Meadows Park - photo by Lori Arent |
 | Photo 9 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-16, Hot Springs area |  | Photo 10 by: Mike Turner Comment: Yadkin, 2018-08-26, Pilot Mountain State Park; river section |
 | Photo 11 by: Mike Turner Comment: Montgomery, 2018-08-25, Uwharrie River @ Low Water Bridge |  | Photo 12 by: Mike Turner Comment: Forsyth, 2018-07-08, Winston Lake |
 | 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: Mike Turner Comment: Forsyth, 2018-07-01, Winston Lake |
 | Photo 15 by: John Petranka Comment: Orange, 2018-06-24, Brumley Forest Preserve. Along rocky area of Stony Creek upstream of the railroad bridge. - 3 tandem pairs ovipositing. |  | Photo 16 by: Conrad Wernett Comment: Harnett; P, 2017-07-29 - Raven Rock State Park - Campbell Creek |
 | Photo 17 by: Vin Stanton Comment: Buncombe, 2017-07-25, Ledges River Park, French Broad River - Male and Female |  | Photo 18 by: Rob Van Epps Comment: Mecklenburg, 2017-07-08, Mallard Creek between Mallard Creek Church Rd and Harris Blvd. |
 | Photo 19 by: Rob Van Epps Comment: Mecklenburg, 2017-07-08, Mallard Creek between Mallard Creek Church Rd and Harris Blvd. |  | Photo 20 by: Mike Turner Comment: Vance, 2017-07-04, Tar River @ SR1101 (Charlie Grissom Rd.) - adult males |
 | Photo 21 by: John Petranka Comment: Orange, 2014-07-14, Eno River State Park (ENRI). Pleasant Green Access. - 3 males 2 females. Oviposting pair, male with yellowish thoracic color as noted by Paulson when in tandem. |  | Photo 22 by: Doug Johnston, Vin Stanton Comment: Graham, 2013-07-16, Lake Santeetlah north of Robbinsville - Male & Female |
 | Photo 23 by: Mark Swanson Comment: Avery, 2012-09-12 - Possibly two individuals; only one photographed. |  | Photo 24 by: Vin Stanton Comment: Henderson, 2012-07-03, Fletcher Park, Fletcher - Male |
 | Photo 25 by: Vin Stanton, Doug Johnston, Gail Lankford, Janie Owen Comment: Madison, 2012-06-15, North of Hot Springs on River Road-French Broad River - Male |  | Photo 26 by: Vin Stanton, Doug Johnston Comment: Transylvania, 2011-08-19, Brevard - Female |
 | Photo 27 by: Curtis Smalling Comment: Watauga, 2011-07-23, along the South Fork of the New River upstream from Todd - pair in wheel with Powdered Dancers |  | Photo 28 by: Vin Stanton & Virginia Senechal Comment: Buncombe, 2011-06-24, Beaver Lake, mating pairs along shore on vegetation - Male & Female |
 | Photo 29 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; P, 2009-08-21, Raven Rock State Park - Seen along edge of Cape Fear River |  | Photo 30 by: Beth Brinson Comment: Yadkin, 2008-06-10, Pilot Mountain State Park - Yadkin River Section - Immature male |
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