NC Odonate Website

Related Species in AESHNIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 1

PDF has more details,
e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]

Ocellated Darner (Boyeria grafiana) by John Petranka

Compare with: Fawn Darner
Identification Tips: Move the cursor over the image, or tap the image if using a mobile device, to reveal ID Tips.
Note: The characters apply to both sexes.

[Google images] [Global Biodiversity Information Facility] iNaturalist

Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Ocellated Darner

Flight Charts

Distribution

Mountains only, though perhaps into the Piedmont foothills; recorded from 11 counties. One documented by a photo from Graham County in 2019 was a new county record and the first recent report for the southern mountains. This is a northern species that ranges south only to the mountains of northern Georgia.

Abundance

Rare to locally very uncommon. As most of the records with data are older than 20 years ago, it might now be considered rare. Fortunately, there were three records documented by photographs in 2013, but all from a single county (Watauga). In recent years, there are generally only one or two records a year, though most have been from Watauga County.

Flight

The flight occurs in late summer and early fall -- from early August to the end of September. In Georgia, it also flies in August and September (Beaton 2007). The April and June records on the flight charts are for nymphs only.

Habitat

Mainly at fast, rocky streams in wooded habitats; however, recent records in Watauga County have also been at wet meadows and bogs.

Behavior

As with Fawn Darner, it forages by flying along creek banks, apparently fairly slowly. However, that species occurs mainly along slow moving waters, whereas the Ocellated occurs along rapidly moving waters.

Comments

As there is relatively little odonate field work currently in the mountains, as compared with the other provinces, its range and status are not well known. Thus, the N.C. Natural Heritage Program keep records on it, and in November 2012 up-listed it from Watch List to the Rare List, as Significantly Rare. Photos in 2013 documented the first records for Watauga County. More photos were made in Yancey County in 2017, though there is a vague, old report from this county. As mentioned above, there was a welcome new record from Graham County in 2019.

State Rank

S2?

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-09 12:53:51

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
Home Page	Search	Odonate Resources	Maps	Login	NC Biodiversity Project	Comments

Photo Gallery for Ocellated Darner 19 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: P Dixon, Jaq Reed, Sarah Noah Comment: Buncombe, 2025-01-29, Forks of Ivy, under I-26 bridge		Photo 2 by: P Dixon, Jaq Reed, Sarah Noah Comment: Buncombe, 2025-01-29, Forks of Ivy, under I-26 bridge
	Photo 3 by: Lucas Wilson, Lydia Pultorak Comment: Transylvania, 2024-07-13, - Davidson River, Shut-In pulloff. Males patrolling river at dusk.		Photo 4 by: Lucas Wilson, Lydia Pultorak Comment: Transylvania, 2024-07-13, - Davidson River, Shut-In pulloff. Males patrolling river at dusk.
	Photo 5 by: Max Ramey Comment: Watauga, 2023-09-03, Howards Creek off of Howards Creek Rd. (36.261050, -81.693420) - All appeared to be males. Possibly more		Photo 6 by: Rob Van Epps & Kevin Metcalf Comment: Watauga, 2022-08-28, Several seen. One netted and released. Julian Price Park.
	Photo 7 by: Scott Pohlman Comment: Watauga, 2021-08-01, near Blue Ridge Parkway, near Bamboo; individual found dead		Photo 8 by: Owen and Pat McConnell Comment: Graham, 2019-08-07, Hanging from a front porch rafter at our cabin at 4950 W. Buffalo Rd. at 7:35 A.M. - Maybe preying on moths attracted to building lights
	Photo 9 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt, Chuck Smith. Comment: Yancey, 2017-09-19, South Toe River at Black Mountain Campground. - Male netted, photographed, and released. Others also appeared to be males, but can't be certain.		Photo 10 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt, Chuck Smith. Comment: Yancey, 2017-09-19, South Toe River at Black Mountain Campground. - Male netted, photographed, and released. Others also appeared to be males, but can't be certain.
	Photo 11 by: Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-28, Blue Ridge Parkway		Photo 12 by: Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-28, Blue Ridge Parkway
	Photo 13 by: Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-28, Blue Ridge Parkway		Photo 14 by: Bob Cherry and Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-27, Blue Ridge Parkway
	Photo 15 by: Bob Cherry Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-02, Blue Ridge Parkway		Photo 16 by: Curtis Smalling Comment: Watauga, 2009-08-20, Meat Camp Creek Environmental Studies Area - male
	Photo 17 by: Bob Cherry and Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-27, Blue Ridge Parkway		Photo 18 by: Bob Cherry and Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-27, Blue Ridge Parkway
	Photo 19 by: Bob Cherry and Jon Boerger Comment: Watauga, 2013-08-27, Blue Ridge Parkway