NC Odonate Website

Related Species in AESHNIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 0

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Taper-tailed Darner (Gomphaeschna antilope) by John Petranka

Compare with: Harlequin Darner
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Note: Except as noted for the cerci, all characters apply to both sexes.

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Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Taper-tailed Darner

Flight Charts

Distribution

Essentially just the eastern 50-60% of the state; throughout the Coastal Plain, and in the southeastern third of the Piedmont, west to Caswell, Alamance, Chatham, and Mecklenburg counties. A photo record from Burke County in 2015 was most unusual and well to the west of the expected range, but a recent photo record from Alexander County in 2022 suggests that the species might occur throughout the state's Piedmont province. Nonetheless, there are still huge areas of the northwestern and western part of the region that still lacks records. No mountain records yet.

Abundance

Uncommon in the southern and central Coastal Plain, and close to the coast to the VA line, but rare in most of the northern third of the province. Rare to locally uncommon in the eastern Piedmont west to Caswell and Mecklenburg counties. Very rare to absent in the western 50-60% of the Piedmont.

Flight

Spring into early summer only. In the Coastal Plain, the flight is mainly from early April (very rarely in late March) to late June, sparingly into July. In the Piedmont, the flight occurs from early April to late June. The peak is from mid-April to early May.

Habitat

Typically in and near swamps, but also along nearby rivers and streams.

See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Hydric Forests

Behavior

Forages typically singly along wooded roads and openings near swamps and rivers, not over the water. As with the Harlequin Darner, it often perches vertically on tree trunks, where it can be photographed near human eye-level. A number of NC photos, especially on iNaturalist, show them perched on man-made structures, such as on sides of buildings (and porch screens).

Comments

The species looks similar to Harlequin Darner, though its paired green spots on the abdomen become smaller toward the abdomen tip. Whereas the latter has a somewhat similar range and flight period to Taper-tailed, it is much more often encountered. There were few recent observations of Taper-taileds until about 2015, probably owing to better coverage of the Coastal Plain. Many new records have been made in the Piedmont, such as in Union and Mecklenburg counties that extend the range westward. Could the species be slowly expanding its range inland, or is this simply a matter of more observers gathering odonate data in the Piedmont? As mentioned above, many records on iNaturalist appear to be serendipitous -- a dragonfly that appears on the side of a person's house and is photographed and becomes added to the ever-growing set of records for this often difficult-to-find species!

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-09 14:21:21

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Taper-tailed Darner 39 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Amy Padgett Comment: Bladen, 2024-04-12, Turnbull Creek Educational State Forest - Along creek trail		Photo 2 by: Gage Sutton Comment: Alexander, 2022-05-30, Rocky Face Church Rd, Hiddenite; iNaturalist Record #119496415
	Photo 3 by: Max Ramey Comment: Dare; Mainland, 2022-05-27, Buffalo City Road - Alligator NWR - Many were seen feeding in large swarms (which seemed to be primarily composed of Taper-tails) along the road at multiple points, probably more than 20 individuals but I want to keep it conservative.		Photo 4 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; P, 2022-04-07, Anderson Creek County Park - Male
	Photo 5 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-05-22, The Glades		Photo 6 by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Comment: Craven, 2020-04-20, County Line Rd., ca. 0.5 km SSE of intersection with W Fisher Road. 34.983611, -76.98303. - Female. From iNaturalist.
	Photo 7 by: Michael Parrish and Crystal Puga Comment: New Hanover, 2020-04-02, Wilmington, near Hearthside Drive. - Female.		Photo 8 by: Aaron Edmonds Comment: Harnett; C, 2019-05-31, - Flat Branch. Reviewer note: female shows characteristic J-shaped mark on side of S2.
	Photo 9 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2019-05-19, my property, Holly Ridge - in feeding swarm with Swamp Darners and Carolina Saddlebags		Photo 10 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2019-05-19, my property, Holly Ridge - in feeding swarm with Swamp Darners and Carolina Saddlebags
	Photo 11 by: Lenny Lampel Comment: Mecklenburg, 2019-04-15, Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve. Near Environmental Center. - Female. From iNaturalist.		Photo 12 by: T. Howard Comment: Wake, 2019-04-08, female
	Photo 13 by: N. Williamson Comment: Moore; C, 2018-06-03, Weymouth Woods preserve - Brought up to Visitor Center by visitor - was unable to fly.		Photo 14 by: Genesis Haskell-Ayala. Comment: Cumberland, 2018-05-23, Private residence, Carfew Court, Fayetteville - Female. From iNaturalist.
	Photo 15 by: Paul Hart Comment: Harnett; C, 2017-05-29, Anderson Creek County Park - Male		Photo 16 by: Simon Kerr Comment: Union, 2017-05-25, Pine Oak Road, Waxhaw. - Female
	Photo 17 by: John Petranka, Richard Stickney Comment: Orange, 2017-04-26, Eno River State Park (ENRI), Fews Ford Section near the main parking area. - Female; netted, photographed and released.		Photo 18 by: John Petranka, Richard Stickney Comment: Orange, 2017-04-26, Eno River State Park (ENRI), Fews Ford Section at transmission line corridor. - Male; netted, photographed and released.
	Photo 19 by: Mark Shields Comment: Jones, 2017-04-11, Weetock Trail near Haywood Landing, Croatan National Forest - female		Photo 20 by: Kyle Kittelberger Comment: Wake, 2017-04-10, Raleigh, near Falls Lake State Recreation Area - male, flew into me at 8:25 pm, presumably coming in to my "zapperless" bug zapper light
	Photo 21 by: Kyle Kittelberger Comment: Wake, 2017-04-10, Raleigh, near Falls Lake State Recreation Area - male, flew into me at 8:25 pm, presumably coming in to my "zapperless" bug zapper light		Photo 22 by: Kyle Kittelberger Comment: Wake, 2017-04-10, Raleigh, near Falls Lake State Recreation Area - male, flew into me at 8:25 pm, presumably coming in to my "zapperless" bug zapper light
	Photo 23 by: Kyle Kittelberger Comment: Wake, 2017-04-10, Raleigh, near Falls Lake State Recreation Area - male, flew into me at 8:25 pm, presumably coming in to my "zapperless" bug zapper light		Photo 24 by: John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2016-04-26, Sugg's Millpond (aka Horseshoe Lake), area around dam. Suggs Mill Pond Game Land. Common over roads and around millpond. Photo.
	Photo 25 by: R Emmitt Comment: Orange, 2015-06-23, Saw at a customer's house while building a deck - male perched under a deck in Chapel Hill		Photo 26 by: Kristy Baker Comment: Dare; Mainland, 2015-06-07, Alligator River NWR, Sandy Ridge Wildlife Trail - 3 Females & 2 Males - Including a mating pair.
	Photo 27 by: Kristy Baker Comment: Tyrrell, 2015-06-06, Palmetto-Peartree Preserve		Photo 28 by: Kristy Baker Comment: Tyrrell, 2015-06-06, Palmetto-Peartree Preserve
	Photo 29 by: Bobby J. Ward Comment: Wake, 2015-05-31, photographed at his yard on Wimbleton Dr. in Raleigh		Photo 30 by: George Andrews Comment: Burke; P, 2015-05-11, South Mountains State Park. - Along the Horseridge Trail