NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2023 = 2

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Zebra Clubtail (Stylurus scudderi) by John Petranka, Sally Gewalt

Compare with: Distinctive
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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 Zebra Clubtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Mountain province only; probably occurring throughout the mountains, as there are several county records for northern GA. There was a large gap between the northern and southern clusters of mountain records until Pete Dixon photographed several nymphs and later an adult in Madison County in 2022. A new county record for Graham County in 2019 gives hope that the species is currently present elsewhere in the southern parts of the mountains.

Abundance

Rare and somewhat local; known from just ten of the mountain counties. Dunkle (2000) calls the species as "fairly common" over its range, though clearly in NC it is nowhere this numerous, as there are just 10-11 recent records, all but two from the same area in Watauga County.

Flight

In NC this is a late-flying clubtail; nearly all records with dates are from early August to late September. Note -- the three records for June, all from Transylvania County, are for exuviae -- the shed "skins" of nymphs -- not adults. One such a nymph from Madison County, found in March, emerged as a teneral dragonfly in June, as well.

Habitat

Cool, swiftly flowing creeks and smaller rivers, in forested areas.

Behavior

Males perch on low sites, such as twigs, leaves, and at times on the ground. They make short patrols over riffles of the creeks.

Comments

This is one of many clubtails that is essentially restricted to the mountains in NC, and therefore is known to very few people. Fortunately, the species (especially a male) is easy to identify by the bold pale rings around abdominal segments and the fairly wide club. Adults are considered to be a bit wary, and thus the species is probably not as scarce in NC as the few records imply. Teddy Wilcox provided our first recent record(s), observing and photographing one individual on five dates in late summer and fall 2016 along the Boone Greenway. He rightly wondered if a single Zebra Clubtail was responsible for each of these sightings, spread out over a span of dates ranging from 31 August to 20 September. No matter the answer, he has provided the first known photos of this species in the state. A year later, John Petranka and Sally Gewalt found a few individuals in the same general area of Watauga County. Owen McConnell photographed one that came to a moth sheet at his cabin in Graham County in 2019, a very rare and fortuitous record!

The previous State Rank of S2? was a bit too liberal, despite the new Graham County record. Though there are only two sites with recent records, it is likely not well surveyed, as the flight in very late summer takes places after most of the odonate field work in the mountains. And with scattered records from ten counties, though most are old, the N.C. Natural Heritage Program has moved the State Rank to S1S2 in late 2020.

State Rank

S1S2

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-24 15:07:33

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Zebra Clubtail 15 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2023-03-10, Laurel River, 1/2 mile downstream from Hwy 25/70, addition info on iNat 150788555		Photo 2 by: P Dixon Comment: Buncombe, 2023-02-28, Forks of Ivy. Several F1 Styluruses observed at this location, most likely the same species.
	Photo 3 by: Rob Van Epps & Kevin Metcalf Comment: Watauga, 2022-08-28, Clawson-Burnley Park		Photo 4 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2022-06-14, Reared from nymph, nymph captured in Spring Creek in Hot Springs city limits on 3/24/22.
	Photo 5 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2022-06-14, Reared from nymph, nymph captured in Spring Creek in Hot Springs city limits on 3/24/22.		Photo 6 by: Max Ramey Comment: Watauga, 2020-09-08, Valle Crucis. Dutch Creek about 100m upstream from its confluence with the Watauga River. - Male.
	Photo 7 by: Owen and Pat McConnell Comment: Graham, 2019-08-06, 4950 West Buffalo Rd. Hanging on UV sheet on porch of cabin at 6:41 A.M. - Swift-flowing W. Buffalo Creek was just 20 feet away		Photo 8 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Watauga, 2017-09-18, Boone Greenway along S. Fork New River - males; 1 patrolling, 1 perched on rock by river
	Photo 9 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Watauga, 2017-09-18, Boone Greenway along S. Fork New River - males; 1 patrolling, 1 perched on rock by river		Photo 10 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt Comment: Watauga, 2017-09-04, South Fork of the New River, Clawson-Burnley Park, Boone. - Males. Perched on low (1-2 feet above water) overhanging tree branches and on logs along shoreline of the South Fork of the New River. Males interacted aggressively, but both allowed me to approach closely. One crawled onto my finger and allowed me to reposition him to a more photogenic perch!
	Photo 11 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt Comment: Watauga, 2017-09-04, South Fork of the New River, Clawson-Burnley Park, Boone. - Males. Perched on low (1-2 feet above water) overhanging tree branches and on logs along shoreline of the South Fork of the New River. Males interacted aggressively, but both allowed me to approach closely. One crawled onto my finger and allowed me to reposition him to a more photogenic perch!		Photo 12 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt Comment: Watauga, 2017-09-04, South Fork of the New River, Clawson-Burnley Park, Boone. - Males. Perched on low (1-2 feet above water) overhanging tree branches and on logs along shoreline of the South Fork of the New River. Males interacted aggressively, but both allowed me to approach closely. One crawled onto my finger and allowed me to reposition him to a more photogenic perch!
	Photo 13 by: Teddy Wilcox Comment: Watauga, 2016-09-07, Boone Greenway - same individual as in previous week?		Photo 14 by: Teddy Wilcox Comment: Watauga, 2016-09-05, Boone Greenway - same individual as a few days ago?
	Photo 15 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2023-03-10, Laurel River, 1/2 mile downstream from Hwy 25/70