The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
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Related Species in GOMPHIDAE: Number of records for 2024-00-00 = 3
Added in 2024-00-00 from a previous years = 2

PDF has more details,
e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]		Piedmont Clubtail (Hylogomphus parvidens) by Richard Stickney
Compare with: Spine-crowned Clubtail   Banner 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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Click on county for list of all its records for Piedmont Clubtail
Flight Charts
Distribution Odd range in NC, probably owing to two separate subspecies being present. The nominate subspecies (Hylogomphus parvidens parvidens) occurs in the western third of the Piedmont and the southern mountains. The Sandhills subspecies (H. parvidens carolinus) occurs in the Sandhills region and in the adjacent Piedmont, with an outlying record from Bladen County. A recent photo from Chatham County and a sight report for Wake County have slightly expanded the range to the northeast. It is not known if the species occurs in the intervening south-central Piedmont, though one would expect that it does.
Abundance Rare to uncommon over the range, though there are records for most counties in the Sandhills. Occurs in rather low densities, with a peak daily count of just 8 individuals.
Flight Very late March or early April to late June, rarely to mid-July. Oddly -- perhaps because of the subspecies differences -- the mountain flight period starts about the same time as those downstate, and seemingly ends earlier; in most species, the flight in the mountains should be staggered later in starting and ending dates than those downstate.
Habitat Small or medium creeks, with sandy bottoms and well-vegetated banks.
Behavior Adults only infrequently perch on the ground or dirt, but instead typically perch on low vegetation close to the water.
Comments The species is not overly well known in NC, in part because it is essentially absent from the northeastern Piedmont where more biologists live and study odonates. Nonetheless, based on its range in the state, it does not appear to be rare in at least parts of the range. More field work is needed in the southern Piedmont to determine the boundaries of the ranges of the two subspecies and to determine whether there actually is a small hiatus between their ranges.

The N.C. Natural Heritage Program added the species to its Watch List in 2012.
State Rank S3
State Status W
Global Rank G4
Federal Status
Synonym Gomphus parvidens
Other Name Sandhills Clubtail - Hylogomphus parvidens carolinus
Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 10:33:20
Photo Gallery for Piedmont Clubtail   41 photos are available.
Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Photo 1 by: Lucas Wilson

Comment: Scotland, 2024-04-27, Scotland Lake adjacent to dam		Photo 2 by: Amy Padgett

Comment: Bladen, 2024-04-04, Turnbull Creek Educational State Forest - Along the creek path. Female.
Photo 3 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2024-03-20, French Broad, Hot Springs area		Photo 4 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2024-03-20, French Broad, Hot Springs area
Photo 5 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2024-03-20, French Broad, Hot Springs area		Photo 6 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2024-03-20, French Broad, Hot Springs area
Photo 7 by: Max Ramey

Comment: Watauga, 2023-06-13, Elk Creek off of Elk Creek Road (36.146349, -81.501301) - 2 males, county record		Photo 8 by: Max Ramey

Comment: Wilkes; M, 2023-06-12, Triplett Rd. River Access (at end of Reynolds Pkwy) - Elk Creek
Photo 9 by: Max Ramey

Comment: Wilkes; M, 2023-06-12, Triplett Rd. River Access (at end of Reynolds Pkwy) - Elk Creek 		Photo 10 by: P Dixon

Comment: Buncombe, 2023-03-01, Nymphs captured at Forks of Ivy, reared emerged on 4/20/23
Photo 11 by: P Dixon

Comment: Buncombe, 2023-03-01, Nymphs captured at Forks of Ivy, reared emerged on 4/20/23		Photo 12 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2022-06-05, Marshall, Walnut Creek, Sweetwater Rd. 35°48'47.6
Photo 13 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake - on the dam		Photo 14 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake - on the dam
Photo 15 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females		Photo 16 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females
Photo 17 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females		Photo 18 by: Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf

Comment: Scotland, 2020-04-17, Scotland Lake area
Photo 19 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-03-28, Bagget Lake and outflow stream		Photo 20 by: R.Emmitt, H. LeGrand, J. Pippen

Comment: Scotland, 2019-04-28, Gum Swamp Lake
Photo 21 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Transylvania, 2018-06-27, French Broad River at Hap Simpson Park, Brevard - 1 male and 1 female perched on low vegetation near river bank		Photo 22 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Transylvania, 2018-06-27, French Broad River at Hap Simpson Park, Brevard - 1 male and 1 female perched on low vegetation near river bank
Photo 23 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2018-05-27, Lowe's River Edge Park - 2 adult males pair in wheel		Photo 24 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2018-05-27, Lowe's River Edge Park - 2 adult males pair in wheel
Photo 25 by: John Petranka

Comment: Richmond; C, 2018-05-12, Hitchcock Creek at outfall of Lake Mckinney. - Males.		Photo 26 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Caldwell, 2017-06-04, Wilson Creek, US Forest Service access off Brown Mountain Beach Road
Photo 27 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Wilkes; M, 2017-05-29, Stone Mountain State Park along creek on Stone Mountain Road - males		Photo 28 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-27, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery
Photo 29 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-27, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery		Photo 30 by: B. Bockhahn

Comment: Surry, 2017-05-17