NC Odonate Website

Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE:		Number of records for 2025 = 1
Added in 2025-00-00 from a previous year = 1 (2022-06-19)

PDF has more details,
e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
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Duckweed Firetail (Telebasis byersi) by Mark Shields

Compare with: Eastern Red Damsel
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 Duckweed Firetail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Throughout the Coastal Plain, but essentially absent from the adjacent Piedmont, though there are recent records for the eastern portion (Orange, Wake, and Anson counties). Absent from the mountains. Possibly absent in some counties in the northeastern Coastal Plain. Expanding its range inland and presumably also at more sites within the Coastal Plain, in the last 10 years.

Abundance

Uncommon and local over much of the Coastal Plain, but can be numerous in a few places, as witnessed by a remarkable one-day tally of 168 at a Bladen County impoundment in 2022! There are a few other counts of 20 or more. Very rare in the Piedmont portion of the range, where all records so far are of singletons accidentally found by the photographers; it has not been intentionally found in this province yet.

Flight

The records fall between mid-May to late September, though there is a recent (2019) sight record for mid-April at a location (Merchants Millpond State Park) with numerous records.

Habitat

As the name implies, found mostly at ponds or swampy pools where there are dense mats of duckweeds; older millponds have a handful of records. However, seems to avoid, or be scarce in, areas where Eastern Pondhawks (a presumed predator) are abundant.

See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Herbaceous Ponds and Sloughs

Behavior

Commonly perches on duckweed or other floating vegetation. Note that the majority of the photos on the webpage are males perched on duckweeds.

Comments

The male is so bright red that, where present, it should be obvious. There has been much effort in sampling Sandhills lakes and ponds in recent years, and this striking species is very localized there -- yet has been found at a few sites farther west in the eastern Piedmont. However, stands of duckweeds are quite local; most Sandhills ponds have plenty of floating aquatic plants but seem to lack duckweed species. Even in Coastal Plain sites that have an abundance of duckweeds, spotting a Firetail can be very difficult, at least from shore, especially where Eastern Pondhawks are commonly seen perching on the duckweeds. Mike Turner has had excellent success in finding the species in the past few years, though he often wades into the ponds for closer searching, counting, and photographing. Based on the great number of recent records, many with photos, there is no doubt that the species is spreading in range and is moving westward in the state.

State Rank

S3S4

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 17:51:36

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Duckweed Firetail 37 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Al Hooks Comment: Johnston; C, 2024-09-09, Johnston - C; Buffalo Rd 0.2 mile N of M Durwood Stephenson Hwy		Photo 2 by: Mark Shields, John Petranka Comment: Chatham, 2024-06-13, White Pines Preserve - First record for county
	Photo 3 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-05-30, Swamp creek 2 miles SE of Clarkton, NC - 1:11PM in weeds at edge of creek		Photo 4 by: L. Arent Comment: Wake, 2023-07-05, Prairie Ridge Ecostation Pond
	Photo 5 by: Emma Blackford Comment: Wake, 2022-08-31, Prairie Ridge Ecostation pond		Photo 6 by: Alicia Jackson Comment: Moore; C, 2022-08-24, Male, found midday in a cobweb under light at office building
	Photo 7 by: Alicia Jackson Comment: Moore; C, 2022-08-24, - Male, caught midday in a cobweb under light at office buildin		Photo 8 by: Harry LeGrand; Lori Arent Comment: Harnett; P, 2022-08-08, Cape Fear River locations - Lillington Botanical Trail pond.
	Photo 9 by: Mike Turner Comment: Harnett; P, 2022-07-17, Lillington Botanical Trail - Reflection Pond		Photo 10 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2022-07-14, Swampy early successional cutover just southeast of Clarkton. 34.460756, -78.637513 iNaturalist #126276366 - Male
	Photo 11 by: Mike Turner Comment: Sampson, 2022-06-26, Sandy Creek at SR 2303 (Hollow Bridge Rd.)		Photo 12 by: Mike Turner Comment: Cumberland, 2022-06-26, Jessup’s Mill Pond
	Photo 13 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Robeson, 2022-06-26, Richland and Long swamps, along NC 71 west of Red Springs - males; Long Swamp; photo by Lori Arent		Photo 14 by: Mark Shields Comment: Robeson, 2022-06-24, Lumber River, from LURI-Princess Ann Access to Lumber River Campground and back, by kayak
	Photo 15 by: Mike Turner Comment: Robeson, 2022-06-24, Richland Swamp at NC 71 - 34.806, -79.233 - 5 pairs ovipositing in tandem		Photo 16 by: Indigo Ray Edwards Comment: Wake, 2022-06-21, Around the Prairie Ridge Ecostation pond. iNaturalist record #122815461 - Male
	Photo 17 by: Mike Turner Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-19, Nicholson Creek Game Land - 3 pairs ovipositing in tandem		Photo 18 by: Jeff Niznik Comment: New Hanover, 2022-06-19, Carolina Beach (town), iNaturalist #122906368
	Photo 19 by: Mike Turner Comment: Scotland, 2022-06-18, Lumber River State Park - Chalk Banks access - 1 ad.male 1 teneral		Photo 20 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2022-06-12, Turnbull Creek at SR 1331 (Braxton Edge Rd.) - ad.males
	Photo 21 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2022-06-05, Whitehall Plantation Game Land-Whitehall Tract		Photo 22 by: Lance Medric Comment: Brunswick, 2020-07-18, Crab Catcher Loop NE, Leland; iNaturalist Record #53490887
	Photo 23 by: Ashwin Srinivasan Comment: Orange, 2019-09-30, UNC - Chapel Hill -- photo of male - photo in iNaturalist		Photo 24 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Comment: Dare; OBU, 2018-06-29, Nags Head Woods Preserve - Males on ponds. First record for county
	Photo 25 by: F. Williams, S. Williams Comment: Gates, 2017-08-27, Merchants Millpond State Park - Pair ovipositing		Photo 26 by: Lynn Swafford Comment: Beaufort, 2017-06-27,
	Photo 27 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Columbus, 2017-05-28 - Lake Waccamaw. Two single males, and one pair ovipositing near boat ramp near the state park.		Photo 28 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2016-08-04, Holly Shelter Game Land, Greentree impoundment along Northeast Cape Fear River
	Photo 29 by: Mark Shields Comment: Jones, 2016-08-04, Brock Mill Pond, Trenton		Photo 30 by: Mark Shields Comment: Beaufort, 2016-07-08, Goose Creek State Park