NC Odonate Website

Related Species in MACROMIIDAE:		Number of records for 2024 = 0
Added in 2024-00-00 from a previous years = 2 (2023-08-01) (2023-10-28)

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

Allegheny River Cruiser (Macromia alleghaniensis) by Doug Johnston

Compare with: Swift River Cruiser Mountain River Cruiser Royal River Cruiser
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] iNaturalist

Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Allegheny River Cruiser

Flight Charts

Distribution

Scattered across the mountains, Piedmont, and western Coastal Plain, with a disjunct (?) record from Pender County. Though probably occurring in all counties east to Hertford, Edgecombe, Cumberland, and Scotland, the range is spotty, probably owing mainly to the difficulty of identification.

Abundance

Apparently uncommon in the mountains, Piedmont, and extreme western Coastal Plain -- at least in the past. Very rare to absent over nearly all of the eastern two-thirds of the Coastal Plain. Poorly known by most recent observers because of the difficulty in separation from both the Swift River Cruiser and the Mountain River Cruiser without a specimen or multiple photos of the same individual from different angles. It should not be assumed to have declined in the several decades since Cuyler collected so many specimens. Nonetheless, only four observers have successfully/conclusively photographed this species in the state, and by now (2020's), it could possibly be rare, except along the French Broad River.

Flight

The flight in the Piedmont and mountains occurs between early June and late September. This is likely also the flight period in the Coastal Plain, but known records there -- all historical -- fall in a narrower range from late June to mid-August.

Habitat

Creeks and rivers.

See also Habitat Account for General Rivers and Large Streams

Behavior

Similar to other river cruisers, in that males cruise back and forth quickly along the length of the stream or river. Adults often forage in long patrols along wooded roads and wide trails, typically higher later in the day. They can be difficult to see perched.

Comments

Though an observer without a net can frequently identify a "river cruiser" by its bright green eyes, yellow spots or bands on the black abdomen, and rapid back and forth cruising along a creek or a dirt road, identification of most species is tricky, even when seen perched. Often, they must be identified in the hand, or collected to study the genitalia. This species has a nearly complete yellow ring on abdominal segment 2 (a slight break dorsally). Refer to reference books and photos for identification. The scarcity of observational data in NC is understandable, as such data likely would be inconclusive or questionable (without photo or specimen). Thankfully, several people in the mountains have provided excellent recent documentation through photographs. However, there are disturbingly very few photos to document recent records from the Piedmont. Our website editors carefully scrutinized photo reports of all of the river cruisers (in late 2016), and several photos had been misidentified. Thus, the number of counties and records for most species of river cruisers changed due to moving records from one species to another. Though the N.C. Natural Heritage Program has retained a State Rank of S4, a revised (less numerous) rank of S3S4 might be better, if not even S3.

State Rank

S4 [S3S4]

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-11 10:15:14

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

Photo Gallery for Allegheny River Cruiser 18 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: P Dixon Comment: Yancey, 2023-10-28, Cane River, close to the confluence with Nolichucky River		Photo 2 by: Heather Pratt Comment: Cherokee, 2022-08-05, Found inside a Walmart located near Valley River; iNaturalist Record #129734419 - Male
	Photo 3 by: Heather Pratt Comment: Cherokee, 2022-08-05, Found inside a Walmart located near Valley River; iNaturalist Record #129734419 - Male		Photo 4 by: Heather Pratt Comment: Cherokee, 2022-08-05, Found inside a Walmart located near Valley River; iNaturalist Record #129734419 - Male
	Photo 5 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-09-11, Hot Springs area		Photo 6 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-28, Hot Springs area - male, road kill
	Photo 7 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-28, Hot Springs area - male, road kill		Photo 8 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-28, Hot Springs area - male, road kill
	Photo 9 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-28, Hot Springs area - male, road kill		Photo 10 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-28, Hot Springs area - male, road kill
	Photo 11 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-04, Hot Springs area		Photo 12 by: p dixon Comment: Madison, 2020-08-01, Downtown Marshall, NC - female, collected dead
	Photo 13 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2019-07-01, Broadwing Farm and River Road, Hot Springs, high 80s, late afternoon - caught on my screen porch, Broadwing Farm		Photo 14 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2019-07-01, Broadwing Farm and River Road, Hot Springs, high 80s, late afternoon - caught on my screen porch, Broadwing Farm
	Photo 15 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2019-06-01, Near meadows 1/2 mile downstream from Murray Branch		Photo 16 by: B. Bockhahn Comment: Forsyth, 2013-07-30, - Caught in net during dragonfly program
	Photo 17 by: Doug Johnston, Vin Stanton Comment: Madison, 2012-07-22, Sandy Mush Game Land		Photo 18 by: Doug Johnston, Gail Lankford Comment: Buncombe, 2010-08-13, Sandy Mush Game Land - Cedar Hill access