| The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina | |||||||||||
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| North Carolina's 189 Odonate species |
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| Common Name: | Scientific Name: |
| Sort Species by: Family Scientific Name [ Undocumented ] |
| Related Species in GOMPHIDAE: | Number of records for 2025 = 0 | |
| PDF has more details, e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen. [View PDF] | Banner Clubtail (Hylogomphus apomyius) by Mark Shields
[Google images] [Global Biodiversity Information Facility] iNaturalist | ||
| Map | |||
Click on county for list of all its records for Banner Clubtail | |||
| Flight Charts |  |
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| Distribution | Primarily found in the southwestern quarter of the Coastal Plain, ranging northeastward to the west-central Coastal Plain, and also into the southeastern Piedmont -- west to Catawba and Gaston counties. A photograph in 2019 established a new record for Surry County in the northwestern Piedmont, quite a surprising extension of the range. It is absent from coastal counties. NC lies at the northeastern end of the range, and thus Wilson, Granville (newly found in 2021), and Surry form the northern border of the range. |
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| Abundance | Uncommon, at least in former years; might now be better stated "rare to uncommon and somewhat poorly known", as there are no recent records for nearly all of the Piedmont nor for the west-central Coastal Plain. Records are increasing in recent years, owing to more observers, including photos on iNaturalist, and clearly not rare in the southwestern Coastal Plain. Dunkle (2000) calls the species "scarce", and Beaton (2007) calls it "rare and local" in its range in Georgia. |
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| Flight | Ranges from very early April to early June in the Coastal Plain. In the Piedmont, the flight appears to be slightly narrower -- mid-April to late May. |
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| Habitat | Generally in clean streams and rivers with sandy or gravelly bottoms. See also Habitat Account for General Rivers and Large Streams |
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| Behavior | Males perch on rocks or other perches close to rivers and streams. They are most active early in the morning and toward dusk. |
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| Comments | This is one of the smaller clubtails (only up to 1.5 inches in length). Males have a very wide club. Despite its range occurring close to the locations of many biologists, it is poorly known to most persons, and thus the N.C. Natural Heritage Program has the species on its Watch List. The species can be easily confused with the Spine-crowned Clubtail; in fact, several former reports and photos listed as Banner Clubtail have been re-evaluated and determined to be Spine-crowned Clubtail. It is likely that this species has declined in the state since the time of Cuyler's collecting efforts; there are relatively few reports since the 1980s in the northern half of the range in the state (north of Moore and Sampson counties). Notable recent range extensions were made by Richard Stickney, who photographed the Banner Clubtail from Surry County in 2019; and by John Petranka, who added new records for Granville County, along the Tar River, in spring 2021. It still probably should remain on the Watch List, as there is a lack of records from much of the former range (e.g., the southwestern Piedmont and the central Coastal Plain) as documented by Duncan Cuyler with his older collections. In late 2020, the N.C. Natural Heritage Program moved the rank to straight S3, though it stays on the Watch List. |
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| State Rank | S3 |
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| State Status | W |
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| Global Rank | G3G4 |
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| Federal Status | |||
| Synonym | Gomphus apomyius |
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| Other Name | |||
| Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 10:29:05 | |||
| Photo Gallery for Banner Clubtail 20 photos are shown. | Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox | ||
 | Photo 1 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Rowan, 2023-05-12, South Yadkin River, Cooleemee Falls, the Bullhole River Park - just below the falls - male perched on rock near shore |  | Photo 2 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Rowan, 2023-05-12, South Yadkin River, Cooleemee Falls, the Bullhole River Park - just below the falls - male perched on rock near shore |
 | Photo 3 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Rowan, 2023-05-12, South Yadkin River, Cooleemee Falls, the Bullhole River Park - just below the falls - male perched on rock near shore |  | Photo 4 by: Mike Turner Comment: Hoke, 2023-03-30, Lumber River - Wagram boat ramp on US 401 - tenerals |
 | Photo 5 by: Harry LeGrand. Lori Arent Comment: Richmond; C, 2022-04-28, many Sandhills locales - Drowning Creek at Hoffman Road; photo by Lori Arent |  | Photo 6 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Scotland, 2022-04-10, Lumber River--Turnpike Rd to SP at Chalk Banks (by kayak) - most teneral |
 | Photo 7 by: John Petranka Comment: Granville, 2021-04-28, Tar River at Wilton Slopes - Males |  | Photo 8 by: Denise Williams Comment: Robeson, 2021-04-17, Lumber River State Park Princess Ann Access. iNaturalist record # 74637232 entered by John Petranka - Male |
 | Photo 9 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Surry, 2019-05-27, Mitchell River at SR 1330 - Male on rocks in river, significant range extension, confirmed by several |  | Photo 10 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Surry, 2019-05-27, Mitchell River at SR 1330 - Male on rocks in river, significant range extension, confirmed by several |
 | Photo 11 by: R.Emmitt, H. LeGrand, J. Pippen Comment: Richmond; C, 2019-04-28, Hoffman Road at Drowning Creek |  | Photo 12 by: R.Emmitt, H. LeGrand, J. Pippen Comment: Richmond; C, 2019-04-28, Hoffman Road at Drowning Creek |
 | Photo 13 by: Jeff Pippen, Randy Emmitt, Harry LeGrand Comment: Moore; C, 2019-04-28, A handful flying around creek under bridge at county line (with Richmond County); one dead in water, some perched on rocks, gravel, and trees |  | Photo 14 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Scotland, 2018-04-22, Lumber River State Park, Chalk Banks - Teneral, 1 each sex |
 | Photo 15 by: Mark Shields and Hunter Phillips Comment: Hoke, 2018-04-05, Wagram Boating Access Area, Lumber River - teneral |  | Photo 16 by: Mark Shields and Hunter Phillips Comment: Scotland, 2018-04-05, Lumber River State Park (LURI) - Chalk Banks - recently emerged tenerals |
 | Photo 17 by: Mark Shields and Hunter Phillips Comment: Scotland, 2018-04-05, Lumber River State Park (LURI) - Chalk Banks - recently emerged tenerals |  | Photo 18 by: Mark Shields, John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2017-04-17, South River at Sloan's Bridge |
 | Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2017-04-16, South River at Sloan's Bridge |  | Photo 20 by: Mark Shields Comment: Sampson, 2017-04-16, South River at Sloan's Bridge |
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