NC Odonate Website

Related Species in GOMPHIDAE:

Number of records for 2024 = 3

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Belle's Sanddragon (Progomphus bellei) by Ricky Davis

Compare with: Common Sanddragon
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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 Belle's Sanddragon

Flight Charts

Distribution

Only known in NC from large, natural Carolina bay lakes in Bladen County. Known from Baytree, Jones, Salters, Singletary, Little Singletary, and White lakes. This area is highly disjunct from the main part of the range in the FL panhandle.

Abundance

Not uncommon at several lakes during at least a portion of the flight period; however, absent to extremely rare away from such lakes.

Flight

The flight occurs from mid-May to late June, rarely to late July, with the peak in early June. Dunkle (2000) gives a flight range from "Early May to mid-Aug.", though that likely applies to the FL population.

Habitat

In NC, only at large Carolina bay lakes, with a sandy bottom and shoreline.

Behavior

Males perch on sand along the lake shorelines, but they also perch on adjacent twigs and cypress knees along the shoreline and on piers. (Sanddragons [genus Progomphus] are named by the habit of males for perching on damp sand.) Males make patrolling flights about a foot above the surface of the lakes, coming back to the shore to perch from time to time. They are quite wary, difficult for a person to approach within 10 feet.

Comments

This is clearly one of the rarer dragonflies in the southeastern part of the country, with a global rank of G3. Of note is that the species is not known at all from intervening SC or GA. One must wonder if Belle's Sanddragon might occur at other similar large, sand-bottomed Carolina bay lakes in NC, such as Lake Waccamaw. Photos and specimens from NC have much smaller (or lack) yellow spots on the side of the abdominal club and probably warrant description as a new subspecies (though presumably not as a new species). Ed Corey found the species to be quite numerous on several dates in June 2008 at four of the State Lakes in Bladen County (photos and specimens for documentation). However, he and other State Park personnel were unable to find the species at Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County in 2008; repeated visits to this lake in recent years still have failed to find the species there.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Variegated Clubtail

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-10 12:54:50

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Belle's Sanddragon 16 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Bladen, 2024-05-26, Singletary Lake State Park pier area - Perched on pier		Photo 2 by: Roger Shaw Comment: Bladen, 2022-05-30, Bay Tree Lake
	Photo 3 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Bladen, 2021-05-24, Jones Lake SP (circumnavigating lake by kayak) - on swim beach		Photo 4 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Bladen, 2020-06-01, Jones Lake State Park - 3 males and 1 mating pair
	Photo 5 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Bladen, 2019-06-01, Bay Tree State Park - lake shore; Male; ID based primarily on long, pointed cerci relative to Common Sanddragon, and well-defined yellow rectangle on S-8.		Photo 6 by: John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-25, Jones Lake State Park (JONE). - Males. Sunning on fishing pier.
	Photo 7 by: John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-25, Jones Lake State Park (JONE). - Males. Sunning on fishing pier.		Photo 8 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-20, Jones Lake State Park - 1 pair in wheel
	Photo 9 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2016-06-10, 4 males obelisking at midday on fishing pier, Jones Lake State Park		Photo 10 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2016-06-10, 4 males obelisking at midday on fishing pier, Jones Lake State Park
	Photo 11 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Ed Corey Comment: Bladen, 2013-06-04, seen at Jones Lake State Park - seen very well		Photo 12 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Ed Corey Comment: Bladen, 2013-06-04, seen at Salter's Lake access
	Photo 13 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Ed Corey Comment: Bladen, 2013-06-04, seen at Salter's Lake access; mating pair in a wheel		Photo 14 by: Ricky Davis Comment: Bladen, 2008-06-08, male - obelisking
	Photo 15 by: E. Corey Comment: Bladen, 2008-06-04, recently emerged individuals and mated pairs.		Photo 16 by: E. Corey Comment: Bladen, 2008-06-04, recently emerged individuals and mated pairs.