The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
Home Page Search Odonate Resources
LoginNC Biodiversity Project
North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
Common Name: Scientific Name:

«      »

Sort Species by: Family   Scientific Name       [ Undocumented ]
Related Species in GOMPHIDAE: Number of records for 2023 = 0
Added in 2023 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  
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.

[Google images]     [Global Biodiversity Information Facility]
Map
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   30 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Photo 1 by: P Dixon

Comment: Madison, 2022-06-05, Marshall, Walnut Creek, Sweetwater Rd. 35°48'47.6		Photo 2 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake - on the dam
Photo 3 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake - on the dam		Photo 4 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females
Photo 5 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females		Photo 6 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-05-13, Naked Creek along the road - females
Photo 7 by: Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf

Comment: Scotland, 2020-04-17, Scotland Lake area		Photo 8 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2020-03-28, Bagget Lake and outflow stream
Photo 9 by: R.Emmitt, H. LeGrand, J. Pippen

Comment: Scotland, 2019-04-28, Gum Swamp Lake		Photo 10 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 11 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 12 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2018-05-27, Lowe's River Edge Park - 2 adult males pair in wheel
Photo 13 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2018-05-27, Lowe's River Edge Park - 2 adult males pair in wheel		Photo 14 by: John Petranka

Comment: Richmond; C, 2018-05-12, Hitchcock Creek at outfall of Lake Mckinney. - Males.
Photo 15 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Caldwell, 2017-06-04, Wilson Creek, US Forest Service access off Brown Mountain Beach Road		Photo 16 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Wilkes; M, 2017-05-29, Stone Mountain State Park along creek on Stone Mountain Road - males
Photo 17 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-27, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery		Photo 18 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-27, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery
Photo 19 by: B. Bockhahn

Comment: Surry, 2017-05-17 		Photo 20 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2016-06-13, Naked Creek
Photo 21 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2016-06-13, Naked Creek		Photo 22 by: Vin Stanton

Comment: Buncombe, 2012-05-25, Owen Park ponds, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa River - Male
Photo 23 by: Vin Stanton

Comment: Buncombe, 2012-05-25, Owen Park ponds, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa River - Male		Photo 24 by: Vin Stanton, Doug Johnston

Comment: Buncombe, 2012-04-05, Sandy Mush Game Land, northern Buncombe County - male
Photo 25 by: Vin Stanton, Doug Johnston

Comment: Buncombe, 2012-04-05, Sandy Mush Game Land, northern Buncombe County - male		Photo 26 by: Steve Hall

Comment: Montgomery, 2011-06-02, Uwharrie River
Photo 27 by: Ali Iyoob, Matt Daw, Dan Irizarry

Comment: Richmond; C, 2011-05-05, McKinney Lake Fish Hatchery		Photo 28 by: Doug Johnston, Vin Stanton

Comment: Buncombe, 2010-06-06, - Sandy Mush Game Land
Photo 29 by: Ted WIlcox

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2007-05-30, male, Stone Mountain State Park		Photo 30 by: Ted Wilcox

Comment: Wilkes; P, 2006-06-09, female