NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2024 = 5

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Gray-green Clubtail (Arigomphus pallidus) by Mark Shields

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 Gray-green Clubtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Southern portion of the state; recorded from Robeson County on the west to Pender County on the east. Until 2021, NC was the northern edge of the range, but in 2021 there were several photographic records, from two counties, in southeastern VA. Thus, this species is to be looked for -- and must certainly occur -- along a few blackwater rivers or larger streams in the eastern and even northeastern counties (where there has been very little odonate field work in recent decades).

Abundance

Though common in much of Florida, it is rare (formerly) to now uncommon (at least locally) in its small range in NC. Thankfully, there have been a number of recent records in the past few years, and thus it is not as scarce as formerly believed.

Flight

Late spring to midsummer; generally from the latter half of May to early August, plus a quite late record (photo) from 2 September.

Habitat

In NC, it has been seen only along blackwater rivers and large blackwater creeks. Over the range as a whole, it favors swampy areas along slow-moving waters, such as habitat suitable for alligators (fide Chris Hill). Thus, it could occur in NC in swampy backwaters or other waters away from rivers.

Behavior

The species perches readily on the ground such as riverbanks or pond margins, and can be conspicuous where it occurs.

Comments

For a clubtail, this is one of the easiest species to identify. The sides of the thorax are essentially unmarked and very dull, washed-out gray-green or pale green. Most other clubtails have conspicuous diagonal dark or light stripes on the thorax. Chris Hill observed 19 individuals on 13 July 2014 along the Little Pee Dee River in SC, perhaps only 10-20 miles down the Lumber River (same body of water) from the NC/SC state line. In 2016, Mark Shields re-located the species (two individuals) at or near Duncan Cuyler's original location along the Northeast Cape Fear River in Pender County; he also photographed one on the Brunswick County side of the Waccamaw River. James Reber also photographed one near the known Pender County site, in June 2016. As predicted from the results along the Waccamaw River, the species was discovered in May 2017 by Shields by kayaking the Lumber River, and thus adding Robeson and Columbus to the known counties of occurrence in the state. New Hanover County was added for the first time in 2018, as was a new location in Brunswick County, where the breeding site is likely along a creek (Town Creek) and not a rather large river. Shields documented a first record for Bladen County in 2019 with a photo from the Black River -- an expected site for its occurrence.

Owing to a number of recent records, from a handful of different blackwater rivers and creeks, the species has now (2020) been given a State Rank of S2, instead of the previous S1.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2021-12-22 09:19:05

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Gray-green Clubtail 23 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-07-03, Agricultural fields adjacent to swamp 2 miles SE of Clarkton, NC - 3:18PM at edge of forest		Photo 2 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-06-23, Agricultural fields 2 miles SE of Clarkton, NC
	Photo 3 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Columbus, 2024-05-26, Lake Waccamaw spillway area		Photo 4 by: Amy G. Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-05-09, - Dirt road edging a mixed hardwoods swamp. Two miles SE of Clarkton, NC.
	Photo 5 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-04-13, Slades Swamp: mixed hardwoods 2 miles SW of Clarkton - Agricultural field adjacent to swamp		Photo 6 by: Ed Corey Comment: Columbus, 2020-06-07, Observed at White Marsh, basking on exposed rocks
	Photo 7 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2019-06-28, Black River, from Hunts Bluff Boating Access Area to 5km upstream and back, by kayak - First record for Black River. First record for county.		Photo 8 by: Mark Shields Comment: Columbus, 2019-06-21, Lake Waccamaw State Park (LAWA) - 1 male, 1 female along Lakeshore Trail near spillway
	Photo 9 by: Mark Shields Comment: Robeson, 2018-07-15, Lumber River, from Fair Bluff Boating Access Area to South Carolina line, by kayak - male		Photo 10 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2018-06-08, Northeast Cape Fear River at Riverside Park, Castle Hayne. First record for county.
	Photo 11 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2018-06-08, Northeast Cape Fear River at Riverside Park, Castle Hayne. First record for county.		Photo 12 by: Hunter Phillips, Cathy Songer Comment: Brunswick, 2018-05-25, Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve
	Photo 13 by: Conrad Wernett Comment: Pender, 2017-09-02, - Old female at ramp on NE Cape Fear River off Shaw Highway		Photo 14 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Columbus, 2017-06-04, - Several males still below spillway from Lake Waccamaw.
	Photo 15 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Columbus, 2017-05-28, - Males perched in sunny areas below spillway from Lake Waccamaw		Photo 16 by: John Petranka Comment: Pender, 2017-05-26, Holly Shelter Game Land, Holly Shelter Boating Access Area, dike between Northeast Cape Fear River and greentree impoundment. - 2 males, 1 female.
	Photo 17 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2017-05-25, Holly Shelter Game Land, dike between Northeast Cape Fear River and greentree impoundment, southwest of Holly Shelter Boating Access Area - 3 males, 1 female		Photo 18 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2017-05-25, Holly Shelter Game Land, dike between Northeast Cape Fear River and greentree impoundment, southwest of Holly Shelter Boating Access Area - 3 males, 1 female
	Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Columbus, 2017-05-17, Lumber River; Lumber River State Park - Princess Ann Access to Fair Bluff Boating Access Area by kayak		Photo 20 by: Mark Shields Comment: Columbus, 2017-05-17, Lumber River; Lumber River State Park - Princess Ann Access to Fair Bluff Boating Access Area by kayak
	Photo 21 by: Mark Shields Comment: Brunswick, 2016-06-20, Waccamaw River from Pireway Boating Access to 6 km upstream		Photo 22 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2016-06-17, Holly Shelter Game Land, dike between Northeast Cape Fear River and greentree impoundment , southwest of Holly Shelter Boating Access
	Photo 23 by: Comment: , 0000-00-00, - Dirt road edging a mixed hardwoods swamp. Two miles SE of Clarkton, NC.