NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 2

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Laura's Clubtail (Stylurus laurae) by Doug Johnston

Compare with: Arrow Clubtail Townes's Clubtail
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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 Laura's Clubtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Occurs in the lower elevations of the mountains, the Piedmont, and the upper Coastal Plain. Ranges east only to Halifax, Edgecombe, and Lenoir counties. Only five county records for the mountain province.

Abundance

Rare and declining across most of the state, and likely absent from the eastern half of the Coastal Plain; certainly has declined in recent years. Most recent records are for the lower mountains and foothills. Though one of the more widespread of the stream clubtails (Stylurus species) in the state, it is quite scarce nowadays and we have a daily peak count of just 2 individuals. There seem to be no Coastal Plain records since 2000.

Flight

Mid-June (rarely from late May) into early October in the Piedmont. In the mountains, the flight is narrower, with records only from mid-July to early October, though it should occur in the latter part of June. In the Coastal Plain, the few records fall between late May and mid-July, though it certainly occurs into the fall season there. In GA it flies from early or mid-June into September (Beaton 2007).

Habitat

Mainly breeds at small to medium-sized creeks, where clean and with a sandy bottom.

Behavior

Males are most often seen perched on leaves close to the water. Though they forage during the middle of the day, the species is most active late in the day. Thus, this species can often be difficult to observe because of time of day and infrequency of perching on the ground or in the open.

Comments

Considering that Dunkle (2000) calls the species "uncommon" throughout its range, and Beaton (2007) calls it "rare and local" in its GA range, and both indicate its difficulty of observation, it is a pleasant surprise that we have over 50 records with dates in the state, covering 37 counties. Even so, nearly all of these records were supplied by Duncan Cuyler in the 20th Century. It is not often encountered nowadays, and always just one or two individuals at any one site. Especially disturbing is the very few recent records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, suggesting a strong decline in numbers in these provinces. Its State Rank is therefore moved from S4 to now S2S3, though it stays on the N.C. Natural Heritage Program's Watch List, for now.

State Rank

S2S3

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 14:20:27

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Laura's Clubtail 20 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: P Dixon Comment: Buncombe, 2025-02-05, Flat Creek, 1 mile north of Hwy 25/70		Photo 2 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-12-22, Hot Springs, French Broad, first post Helene sample
	Photo 3 by: P Dixon, Devan Longacres, Jo Comment: Davie, 2024-11-06, Elisha Creek north of Mocksville		Photo 4 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-06-18, Eclosed 6/17/24 from a captive nymph which was captured 3/28/24
	Photo 5 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-03-28, 4 nymphs caught in a side channel of the French Broad, about a mile downstream from Hot Springs		Photo 6 by: Travis McLain Comment: Cabarrus, 2023-07-31, Concord; iNaturalist Record #176000584
	Photo 7 by: Travis McLain Comment: Cabarrus, 2023-07-31, Concord; iNaturalist Record #176000584		Photo 8 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2023-02-28, Teague Road, Sandymush Creek. Many F1 Stylurus nymphs observed.
	Photo 9 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2022-06-06, Collected from a small, sandy, clean creek in Red Oak, near Northern Nash HS - Nymph was collected on 5/30/22, reared, and metamorphosed on 6/5/22		Photo 10 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2022-06-06, Collected from a small, sandy, clean creek in Red Oak, near Northern Nash HS - Nymph was collected on 5/30/22, reared, and metamorphosed on 6/5/22
	Photo 11 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2022-06-06, Collected from a small, sandy, clean creek in Red Oak, near Northern Nash HS - Nymph was collected on 5/30/22, reared, and metamorphosed on 6/5/22		Photo 12 by: B. Bockhahn Comment: Stokes, 2021-08-24, Patrolling low and perching over Mill Creek at Orrell Road towards susnet
	Photo 13 by: username gandalf... Comment: McDowell; M, 2020-07-19, South of Old Fort along Roy Moore Rd. Lat: 35.577237 Lon: -82.195305 iNat record# 53936204 - Female		Photo 14 by: Vin Stanton Comment: Henderson, 2012-09-26, Fletcher Park, Fletcher - Male
	Photo 15 by: Vin Stanton Comment: Henderson, 2012-09-26, Fletcher Park, Fletcher - Male		Photo 16 by: Jason Love, Daniel Sollenberger Comment: Macon, 2011-09-27, Two were netted by Mountain View Intermediate 6th graders (Ishmael Roots & Katliyn Rodriquez) at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve near the confluence of Tessentee Creek and the Little Tennessee River - Netted (and picture taken) while cruising the bottomlands of Tessentee Bottomland Preserve; one was collected
	Photo 17 by: Doug Johnston Comment: Buncombe, 2011-08-11, north Buncombe County, Leicester patch - Found in spiders web, collected but in poor condition		Photo 18 by: Doug Johnston Comment: Buncombe, 2011-08-01, north Buncombe County, Leicester patch
	Photo 19 by: Doug Johnston Comment: Buncombe, 2011-08-01, north Buncombe County, Leicester patch		Photo 20 by: Ted Wilcox Comment: Wilkes; P, 2007-10-08