NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 5

PDF has more details,
e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]

Odonotes
Interesting Facts about Septima's Clubtail

Septima's Clubtail (Gomphurus septima) by Mark Shields

Compare with: Splendid Clubtail Cobra Clubtail Cocoa Clubtail Blackwater Clubtail Midland Clubtail
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 in females.

[Google images] [Global Biodiversity Information Facility] iNaturalist

Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Septima's Clubtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Range has been expanding westward into the central and northwestern Piedmont in recent years, and thus now is present over essentially all of the eastern and central Piedmont, as well as into the upper edge of the Coastal Plain along the Roanoke and Cape Fear rivers. The species has a peculiar, disjunct, or relict range, and so far has been found only in NY, PA, NJ, VA, NC, SC, and AL (according to the OdonataCentral map). Thus, DE, MD, and GA lack records; and it has been found in just two counties each in VA, SC, and AL (OdonataCentral map).

Abundance

Uncommon to locally fairly common, but widespread, within its NC range; noticeably increasing in the past few years -- a true increase in numbers as opposed to just an increase in search effort. Mainly in the Cape Fear River system -- Haw, Rocky, Deep, and the Cape Fear itself. Rare to uncommon in the Yadkin/Pee Dee River system. Rare in the Neuse, Tar, and Roanoke, where so far found only along these rivers (includes the Eno River as the upper end of the Neuse) and not their tributaries; only recently reported from the latter two rivers. Discovered in the Dan River system in spring 2017, but likely rare to very uncommon there.

Flight

Very late March or early April to the end of May, and sparingly to mid-June. The peak in numbers is in late April and early May. The flight period has moved forward (earlier) by a week to 10 days over the past decade. Formerly quite rare before very late April, but now with a number of records prior to 20 April, and our new highest one-day count (34) came on 22 April, in 2022.

Habitat

Breeds in clean, fast rivers and very large streams.

See also Habitat Account for Piedmont and General Rocky Rivers

Behavior

Males perch on the ground near rivers, but they also perch on rocks in the rivers. For a clubtail, this species is rather easily observed and photographed, as individuals often perch on dirt roads, trails, and other spots away from the rivers.

Comments

Until about 30 years ago, the species was known (apparently) only from NC and AL, and presumed to exist only in NC at that time. It has since been found far to the north in NY and NJ. This is, or at least was until about 15 years ago, one of the rarest dragonflies in the eastern United States. It has now been found in 20 counties in NC (new in 2019 in Yadkin and Davidson counties, and new in 2020 in Anson County), with photographic documentation for most of them. As mentioned above, the species is clearly on the increase in the state and is now one of the more readily found clubtails along the larger rivers in the eastern third of the Piedmont. It has recently been re-ranked by NatureServe from G2 to now as G3, and in late 2018 the N.C. Natural Heritage Program changed the State Rank from S2 to S3. (It is hardly in danger of extirpation from NC or extinction over its range now.) Even so, it is still being tracked by that program as Significantly Rare, owing to a small overall global range.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Gomphus septima

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 09:48:24

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
Home Page	Search	Odonate Resources	Maps	Login	NC Biodiversity Project	Comments

Photo Gallery for Septima's Clubtail 48 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2025-05-10, Jordan Lake--Forest Service HQ (Model Plane Field) - Surprising to find a male on the lakeshore, 5.3 miles from the nearest part of the Haw River		Photo 2 by: John Petranka Comment: Chatham, 2025-04-04, White Pines Nature Preserve. Found along the White Pines and River Trails. - All were tenerals or very young juveniles.
	Photo 3 by: Steve Hall Comment: Chatham, 2024-05-12,		Photo 4 by: John Petranka Comment: Orange, 2023-04-17, Duke Forest Road off of University Station Road, near powerline corridor. - female
	Photo 5 by: L. Arent Comment: Harnett; P, 2023-04-15, Raven Rock State Park - Powerline cut on River Rd.		Photo 6 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; C, 2023-03-28, Cape Fear Shiner County Park
	Photo 7 by: John Petranka Comment: Alamance, 2021-05-21, Sunny patches on upland trails near the Haw River at Shallow Ford Natural Area. - Female.		Photo 8 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-05-01, Haw River--Bynum Dam - Fairly close estimate over 1 mile of river. Netted/released 1 and photod 5-10 individuals to confirm that essentially all the flying clubtails were Septima's.
	Photo 9 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-04-11, - Haw River downstream of 64		Photo 10 by: Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf Comment: Montgomery, 2020-05-16, Low Water Bridge on Uwharrie River
	Photo 11 by: Mike Turner Comment: Anson, 2020-05-02, Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge - Leak's Ferry Rd.		Photo 12 by: Will Stuart Comment: Anson, 2020-05-01, Seen along Leaks Ferry Road
	Photo 13 by: E. Corey Comment: Cumberland, 2020-04-06, Carvers Creek State Park - Sandhills Tract - Male, first observed eating unidentified damselfly. ID confirmed by Mark Shields, John Petranka, and Harry LeGrand @ -78.873463, 35.177239		Photo 14 by: Jan Hansen Comment: Chatham, 2020-03-29, Bynum Bridge. Trail going east on the south side of the Haw River. - Bynum Bridge
	Photo 15 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Chatham, 2020-03-29, White Pines Preserve		Photo 16 by: Mike Turner Comment: Yadkin, 2019-06-01, Donnaha Paddle Access, Yadkin River @ NC 67
	Photo 17 by: R. Emmitt Comment: Durham, 2019-05-16, Eno River State Park - Cole Mile Road - female		Photo 18 by: John Petranka Comment: Orange, 2019-05-03, Eno River at Eno River State Park (ENRI) Pleasant Green Access. - Male.
	Photo 19 by: Mike Turner Comment: Davidson, 2019-05-01, Yadkin River (Tuckertown Lake) below High Rock Lake dam		Photo 20 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Orange, 2019-04-28, Eno River State Park - Powerline cut off Old Cole Mill Road
	Photo 21 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Durham, 2019-04-28, Penny's Bend - Male eating a moth		Photo 22 by: Mike Turner Comment: Lee, 2018-05-12, Deep River Park - Camelback Bridge
	Photo 23 by: M. Turner, J. Daigle, T. Schoch, T. Deering Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-12, Deep River Park -Camelback Bridge		Photo 24 by: Tim Deering/Jerrell Daigle Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-12, Camelback Bridge Landing, Deep River
	Photo 25 by: Mike Turner and Randy Emmitt Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-05, White Pines Nature Preserve - plus 5 that were probably this species but didn't see well enough for positive ID		Photo 26 by: Mark Shields Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-05, Deep River Park - males
	Photo 27 by: Mike Turner Comment: Montgomery, 2018-04-29, Uwharrie River @ Low Water Bridge - adult male		Photo 28 by: Mark Shields Comment: Montgomery, 2018-04-21, Uwharrie River at Low Water Bridge - male
	Photo 29 by: Mark Shields Comment: Montgomery, 2018-04-21, Uwharrie River at Low Water Bridge - male		Photo 30 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Alamance, 2017-05-28, Swepsonville River Park - old females