The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
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Related Species in GOMPHIDAE: Number of records for 2024-00-00 = 8

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e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]		Cobra Clubtail (Gomphurus vastus) by Mark Shields
Compare with: Blackwater Clubtail   Splendid Clubtail   Midland Clubtail   Septima's Clubtail   Cocoa 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.

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Map
Click on county for list of all its records for Cobra Clubtail
Flight Charts
Distribution Widely scattered over the western two-thirds of the state, east barely into the western Coastal Plain. Interestingly, nearly all of the mountain and western Piedmont records have come in the past few years, suggesting a possible westward range expansion in the state, though most range maps show the species occurring over the majority of the eastern United States. Likely absent at middle and higher elevations in the mountains. A puzzling scarcity of records from the middle of this range in the state -- such as the central Piedmont; there are no records as yet from heavily populated (by man!) counties of Guilford, Forsyth, Mecklenburg, and Gaston -- suggesting true rarity in this region. A photo record in 2024 has added the Roanoke River drainage to the state range, extending the eastward boundary to central Halifax County.
Abundance Uncommon and local in the eastern Piedmont. Rare to locally uncommon elsewhere in the mountains and Piedmont, though can be numerous along the French Broad River in Madison and Buncombe counties. Very rare in the western part of the Coastal Plain, as well as in the southwestern mountains (where there are as yet no records).
Flight Mostly early May to mid-July, with an early date of 20 April. A seemingly quite late record on 8 August is open to question, though there are now a number of records for mid-July.
Habitat Breeds at rivers and large streams, where rocky or with riffles.

See also Habitat Account for Piedmont and General Rocky Rivers
Behavior Males perch along the shore on the ground, or on rocks in the rivers. Both sexes are often seen perched on vegetation, as well. They may fly well out over the rivers.
Comments This is a very striking species, quite black on the abdomen with very contrasting yellow markings. And, the male's club is very wide -- cobra-like, giving rise to the common name. Even so, there are a few other clubtails (such as Skillet, Splendid, and Blackwater) with wide clubs, and thus sight records must be made with care. Indeed, a few photos on this website have been re-evaluated by experts (in late 2016), and several photos reported as other species have been determined to be Cobra Clubtails by website editors/reviewers.
State Rank S3S4
State Status
Global Rank G5
Federal Status
Synonym Gomphus vastus
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2024-05-08 11:30:26
Photo Gallery for Cobra Clubtail   53 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, 2024-06-09, Haw River--Bynum Dam - both Blackwater and Cobra present at same time		Photo 2 by: Jeffrey Pippen, Harry LeGrand

Comment: Halifax; P, 2024-05-07, Found crawling on shore of Roanoke River. Wings never developed properly.
Photo 3 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips, Lucas Wilson

Comment: Richmond; P, 2024-04-28, Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge; Andrews Pond to Pee Dee River - male		Photo 4 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Chatham, 2022-05-20, Haw River--N Chatham (Chicken Bridge to Bynum dam backwater)
Photo 5 by: Max Ramey, Aaron Reb

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2021-07-17, Kerr Scott Dam/ Yadkin River (Dam to 1000 ft downstream)		Photo 6 by: Max Ramey, Aaron Reb

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2021-07-17, Kerr Scott Dam/ Yadkin River (Dam to 1000 ft downstream)
Photo 7 by: Tiffany Huffman

Comment: Catawba, 2021-07-09, Catawba River at Riverbend Park, iNaturalist record #86312404 - female		Photo 8 by: Ella Adamson, Zoey York

Comment: Madison, 2020-06-13, Hot Springs area
Photo 9 by: p dixon

Comment: Madison, 2020-06-06, French Broad River, Hot Springs area		Photo 10 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park
Photo 11 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park		Photo 12 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park; photo by K. Kittelberger
Photo 13 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park; photo by K. Kittelberger		Photo 14 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park; photo by K. Kittelberger
Photo 15 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Alleghany, 2020-06-03, New River State Park; photo by K. Kittelberger		Photo 16 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2019-05-26, Lowe's Rivers Edge Park; Wilkesboro
Photo 17 by: Pete Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2019-05-13, River Road, Murray Branch Meadows		Photo 18 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Yadkin, 2018-07-20, Pilot Mountain State Park - Yadkin River section
Photo 19 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Alleghany, 2018-07-15, New River @ SR 1345 (Farmers Fish Camp Rd.)		Photo 20 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Richmond; P, 2018-07-06, Pee Dee River; 2 km stretch upstream from Diggs Tract Access, by kayak - males. First record for county.
Photo 21 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Anson, 2018-07-06, Pee Dee River; 2 km stretch upstream from Diggs Tract Access, by kayak		Photo 22 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Yadkin, 2018-06-24, Park at Yadkin River/NC 67 - all females
Photo 23 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Yadkin, 2018-06-23, Pilot Mountain State Park - Yadkin River Section		Photo 24 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Surry, 2018-06-10, Crater Park, Yadkin River, Elkin
Photo 25 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Surry, 2018-06-10, Crater Park, Yadkin River, Elkin		Photo 26 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Alleghany, 2018-05-19, New River @ SR 1345 (Farmers Fish Camp Rd.) - all tenerals; at least 10 Gomphurus emerging but too young to be sure of species
Photo 27 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Alleghany, 2018-05-19, New River @ SR 1345 (Farmers Fish Camp Rd.) - all tenerals; at least 10 Gomphurus emerging but too young to be sure of species		Photo 28 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Alleghany, 2018-05-19, New River @ SR 1345 (Farmers Fish Camp Rd.) - all tenerals; at least 10 Gomphurus emerging but too young to be xure of species
Photo 29 by: M. Turner, J. Daigle, T. Schoch, S. Daniel, K. Larsen

Comment: Harnett; C, 2018-05-10, Cape Fear River Trail; Erwin - adult males and teneral		Photo 30 by: M. Turner, J. Daigle, T. Schoch, S. Daniel, K. Larsen

Comment: Harnett; C, 2018-05-10, Cape Fear River Trail; Erwin - adult males and teneral