NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 0

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Rapids Clubtail (Phanogomphus quadricolor) by John Petranka

Compare with: Harpoon Clubtail Beaverpond 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 Rapids Clubtail

Flight Charts

Distribution

Primarily north and west of NC, ranging south to northern VA, eastern TN, and northern GA and AL. In NC, widely scattered in the mountains and Piedmont, known from just eight counties, with Watauga County added in 2022. A photo record from Rockingham County in 2019 slightly closed the large gap in records between the mountains and the lower Piedmont, but still hardly any records for the central and western Piedmont as yet.

Abundance

Seemingly very rare in the mountains (with just six records so far), and also very rare (and local) in the eastern Piedmont. Status in the central and western Piedmont is obviously uncertain, though it may well occur in a few places in this large region in addition to Rockingham County.

Flight

A relatively short spring season flight. The flight dates from the eastern NC Piedmont are from 26 April to 19 May, and the NC mountain records are from 6 May to 6 June. The single GA record (in the mountains) is for 16 May. Thus, the flight in NC occurs from at least late April to early June. Dunkle (2000) says "early May to mid-July" throughout the range; and Paulson (2011) lists "May-Jun" for KY.

Habitat

Mainly at larger rivers with rocks and rapids.

See also Habitat Account for Piedmont and General Rocky Rivers

Behavior

Males perch on rocks or vegetation near the rivers, but also on vegetation away from rivers.

Comments

This is another rare clubtail in the state. Its distribution is oddly disjunct, as the main part of the range is north and west of the state, south to VA and TN; only one record is known from GA. This is one of many clubtails that can be difficult to identify; multiple photos or specimens are almost certainly necessary for proper documentation. Thankfully, Richard Stickney found a new location of the species, in the Haw River near Swepsonville (Alamance County), in May 2017, and documented this finding with several photographs. John Petranka added several additional photos from that site four days later; and Tim Deering and Jerrell Daigle documented the species from the Deep River in Chatham County in 2018. Both the Deep and Haw rivers are in the same (Cape Fear) drainage. However, Mike Turner photographed one in Rockingham County in 2019 near the Dan River, in the Dan/Roanoke drainage. Max Ramey photographed the species in Watauga County in June 2022.

State Rank

S1S2

State Status

Global Rank

G3G4

Federal Status

Synonym

Gomphus quadricolor

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 12:46:21

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Rapids Clubtail 26 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-12-22, Hot Springs, French Broad, first post Helene sample		Photo 2 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-05-03, Reported as a nymph captured on 3/20/24, emerged 5/3/24
	Photo 3 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-05-03, Reported as a nymph captured on 3/20/24, emerged 5/3/24		Photo 4 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-05-03, Reported as a nymph captured on 3/20/24, emerged 5/3/24
	Photo 5 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Chatham, 2024-04-20, Haw River at Bynum - Young female		Photo 6 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Chatham, 2024-04-20, Haw River at Bynum - Young female
	Photo 7 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2024-03-20, Hot Springs, French Broad, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/203283490		Photo 8 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2023-11-11, Hot Springs area, island channel, French Broad
	Photo 9 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Alamance, 2023-05-08, Swepsonville River Park - Male		Photo 10 by: Max Ramey Comment: Watauga, 2022-06-02, Watauga River Bridge - Valle Crucis - (on 194) - First record for the northern mountains. Surprising find! 2 adult males patrolling the river and later resting on vegetation. Hanging around the edge of a slow pool right downstream from the bridge.
	Photo 11 by: Max Ramey Comment: Watauga, 2022-06-02, Watauga River Bridge - Valle Crucis - (on 194) - First record for the northern mountains. Surprising find! 2 adult males patrolling the river and later resting on vegetation. Hanging around the edge of a slow pool right downstream from the bridge.		Photo 12 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2021-05-15, Hot Springs area
	Photo 13 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2021-05-15, Hot Springs area		Photo 14 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Chatham, 2020-04-26, White Pines Preserve
	Photo 15 by: Mike Turner Comment: Rockingham, 2019-04-27, Dan River Game Land-powerline ROW		Photo 16 by: Tim Deering/Jerrell Daigle Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-12, In field near Deep River - Single female
	Photo 17 by: Tim Deering/Jerrell Daigle Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-12, In field near Deep River - Single female		Photo 18 by: Mark Shields Comment: Mitchell, 2017-06-03, Nolichucky River at Poplar Access Area - males
	Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Mitchell, 2017-06-03, Nolichucky River at Poplar Access Area - males		Photo 20 by: John Petranka Comment: Alamance, 2017-05-19, Haw River at Swepsonville. Perching on smaller rocks at the bridge. - Males.
	Photo 21 by: John Petranka Comment: Alamance, 2017-05-19, Haw River at Swepsonville. Perching on smaller rocks at the bridge. - Males.		Photo 22 by: John Petranka Comment: Alamance, 2017-05-19, Haw River at Swepsonville. Perching on smaller rocks at the bridge. - Males.
	Photo 23 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Alamance, 2017-05-15, Male on rock in Haw River at Swepsonville River Park		Photo 24 by: Vin Stanton, Lucie Bruce, Nick Cooney Comment: Buncombe, 2013-05-30, observed along French Broad River, Alexander Park, north Buncombe County - Male
	Photo 25 by: Ali Iyoob, Matt Daw, Dan Irizarry Comment: Madison, 2011-05-06, French Broad River		Photo 26 by: Comment: , 0000-00-00, - Male