NC Odonate Website

Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 2

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Lilypad Forktail (Ischnura kellicotti) by Mark Shields

Compare with: Skimming Bluet
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 Lilypad Forktail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Spottily distributed over most of the Coastal Plain and the eastern third of the Piedmont; also sparingly in the mountains and foothills. Many gaps in the range (records for less than half of the counties within the Coastal Plain and Piedmont portion of the range). Might be truly absent in some counties in the western Piedmont and parts of the mountains.

Abundance

Uncommon to locally common in the Sandhills and at Suggs Millpond (= Horseshoe Lake) in Bladen County. Rare to locally uncommon elsewhere in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont. Rare in the foothills/mountain part of the range. Ought to be present in the western parts of the Piedmont and at least the lower mountain counties.

Flight

In the Coastal Plain, it occurs from early March to early October. The Piedmont flight occurs from mid-May (and likely earlier) to late September. The few mountain dates fall from late May to mid-October, suprisingly late.

Habitat

As the common name implies, it is essentially found only at lakes or ponds with lilypads.

See also Habitat Account for General Herbaceous Ponds

Behavior

Adults can be identified by their habit of curving the abdomen such that the club touches the lilypad. Note, however, that male Skimming Bluets, quite similar-looking to male Lilypad Forktails, also will bend their abdomen down to a lilypad. You may need to take a photo of your damselfly to be certain. (And, male Cherry Bluets also perch on lily pads, and can be mistaken for immature female Lilypad Forktails.)

Comments

There is much opportunity for biologists to "fill in the holes" in the range map with new county records. In fact, several new county records were added in 2016 and 2017, and a mountain county (Avery) was added in 2021. Additional new counties were added in 2022. The species is considered to be "Common below the Fall Line" in GA (Beaton 2007), and in NC it can be at least locally quite common at a few lakes and ponds in the southern Coastal Plain/Sandhills.

The number of recent records, as compared with those older collection records by Cuyler, suggests that the species is likely increasing in numbers and range in the state. A few other species, typically those of man-made lakes and ponds (e.g., Two-striped Forceptail, Roseate Skimmer), also show this pattern of certain increase and/or spreading inland. The State Rank was thus moved by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program from S3S4 to S4 a few years ago.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 17:21:22

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Lilypad Forktail 38 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Wendi Jones Comment: Chowan, 2024-09-17, iNaturalist Record #242364732; Edenton - male		Photo 2 by: Michael W Plauche Comment: Transylvania, 2024-08-27, iNaturalist record 238274250; Brevard area
	Photo 3 by: Becky Elkin and Jim Petranka Comment: Haywood, 2023-07-06, Lake Logan, on waterlilies. - Male		Photo 4 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Richmond; C, 2023-05-07, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery
	Photo 5 by: Lori Arent, Harry LeGrand Comment: Bladen, 2023-04-21, several locations in Bladen County - adult males; on lily pads at Suggs Mill Pond; photo by Lori Arent		Photo 6 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Mecklenburg, 2022-07-09, Approx. 20 seen, probably more present, including pairs in
	Photo 7 by: Mike Turner Comment: Richmond; C, 2022-06-25, Sandhill Game Lands - Broadacres Lake - ad.male		Photo 8 by: Mike Turner Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-19, Nicholson Creek Game Land - 2 ad. males
	Photo 9 by: Mark Shields Comment: Dare; Mainland, 2022-06-10, Milltail Creek, Alligator River NWR; from Buffalo City launch to Alligator River and back, by kayak - first record for county		Photo 10 by: Max Ramey Comment: Avery, 2021-08-15, Wildcat Lake - First county record, abundant at this site
	Photo 11 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger Comment: Moore; P, 2020-05-13		Photo 12 by: Doug Allen Comment: Polk; P, 2020-04-20, Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE)
	Photo 13 by: Hunter Phillips Comment: Onslow, 2019-04-30, Private pond off Folkstone Road		Photo 14 by: R Emmitt and super DSA crew! Comment: Scotland, 2018-05-11, Scotland Lake
	Photo 15 by: Mark Shields Comment: Cumberland, 2018-04-22, Lake Rim. Abundant on lily pads. Only a small area of lake surveyed by kayak.		Photo 16 by: John Petranka Comment: Carteret, 2018-04-19, Along Patsy Pond Green Trail and at Lilypad Pond, Croatan National Forest. - Both sexes. one teneral female.
	Photo 17 by: Mark Shields Comment: Carteret, 2018-02-27, Ponds along Patsy Pond Nature Trail, Croatan National Forest. Photo of female.		Photo 18 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt Comment: Orange, 2017-09-09, Pond at Twin Creeks Park near junction of Eubanks Road and Old NC 86 (35.959266, -79.104926) - Mostly Males.
	Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Washington, 2017-06-16, Conaby Creek, from boating access area to 2.25 km upstream by kayak - first record for county		Photo 20 by: Mark Shields, Chris Hill Comment: Carteret, 2017-05-19, Ponds along Patsy Pond Nature Trail, Croatan National Forest
	Photo 21 by: Mark Shields Comment: Brunswick, 2017-05-02, North Lake and Spring Lake parks, Boiling Spring Lakes		Photo 22 by: Mark Shields Comment: Brunswick, 2017-04-12, North Lake and Spring Lake parks, Boiling Spring Lakes
	Photo 23 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2017-04-10, limesink ponds at Carolina Beach State Park - 6 individuals and 14 pairs in wheel on lilypads in Lily Pond		Photo 24 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2016-09-05, Holly Shelter Game Land, waterfowl impoundment
	Photo 25 by: Mark Shields Comment: Tyrrell, 2016-06-19, Lily-filled roadside ditch along NC Highway 94		Photo 26 by: John Petranka Comment: Burke; P, 2016-05-11, Table Rock Fish Hatchery. Atypical habitat; no lilypads at this site; single male seen perched on a rock at edge of pond. Photo.
	Photo 27 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2015-07-18, Suggs Mill Pond (aka Horseshoe Lake) - several pairs in wheel position on lily pads		Photo 28 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt Comment: Watauga, 2015-07-02, Bass Lake, Moses Cone Memorial Park. - Males on lilypads.
	Photo 29 by: Conrad Wernett Comment: Jones, 2014-05-04 - Waterfowl impoundment		Photo 30 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wake, 2013-08-16, Harris Lake-paddling the shore NE of New Hill-Holleman Rd. - 13 males and 2 females