The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
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Related Species in LIBELLULIDAE: Number of records for 2023 = 0
Added in 2023 from a previous years = 12

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e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
[View PDF]		Red-veined Pennant (Celithemis bertha) by Mark Shields
Compare with:   Distinctive
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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 Red-veined Pennant
Flight Charts
Distribution Scattered over nearly all of the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont; a few records for the southwestern Piedmont (Catawba and Cleveland counties), plus outliers in the southwestern mountains (Clay and Graham counties). Found primarily in the southern half of the Coastal Plain (sporadic north of Harnett and Pitt counties). NC lies at the northern edge of the species' range, but it has been recorded once in VA, in 2014 (as a stray?).
Abundance Uncommon to locally fairly common in the southern half of the Coastal Plain; rare in the northern half of the Coastal Plain and the extreme eastern Piedmont; very rare farther west.
Flight In the Coastal Plain, the flight occurs from mid- or late May to mid-October; however, the earliest record for the Piedmont isn't until late June. The three mountain records with dates are from late June to early August.
Habitat Primarily at ponds and lakes with much emergent vegetation along the shore.

See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Herbaceous Ponds and Sloughs
Behavior Unlike most other Celithemis pennants, adults seldom stray far from ponds or small lakes, and may forage well out in the water and perch on logs and other material emerging from the water.
Comments Though a common species, apparently, in FL (Dunkle 2000), it is not common northward. Beaton (2007) calls it "Uncommon below the Fall Line" in GA, and as NC lies at the northern edge of the species' range, it is no more numerous here (unlike the Amanda's Pennant, which is more common in NC than in GA). Despite it having been found in nearly 40% of the counties in NC, including all in the southern Coastal Plain, it and the Double-ringed Pennant are the only ones (of seven species) in the genus that are not common (at least locally) in the state. It is most likely to be seen by working the margins of beaver ponds and man-made ponds in the Sandhills region, but males may perch on vegetation well out from shore (where binoculars or a telephoto lens may be needed for identification). A surprising count of 15, documented by several photos, was made in the northeastern Piedmont in Granville County, in 2013.
State Rank S4
State Status
Global Rank G5
Federal Status
Synonym
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-16 14:06:56
Photo Gallery for Red-veined Pennant   18 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Photo 1 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Bladen, 2022-07-09, Bay Tree Lake State Natural Area - ad.males		Photo 2 by: Kevin Metcalf

Comment: Scotland, 2022-06-26, Marston, just south of town, Pine Lake near Sneads Grove Road.
Photo 3 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-19, Nicholson Creek Game Land - mostly ad.males		Photo 4 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Moore; C, 2020-07-20, Reservoir Park
Photo 5 by: Pat Momich

Comment: Graham, 2020-06-29, Lake Santeetlah		Photo 6 by: R. Emmitt

Comment: Richmond; C, 2019-06-15, Broad Acres Lake - all teneral
Photo 7 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Scotland, 2018-09-03, Scotland Lake, Sandhills Game Land		Photo 8 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Brunswick, 2018-08-26, Boiling Spring Lakes - Spring Lake Park
Photo 9 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Chowan, 2018-06-09, Edenton National Fish Hatchery. First record for county.		Photo 10 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-20, Jones Lake State Park - 2 adult males and 1 ovipositing female
Photo 11 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Columbus, 2016-07-22, Lake Waccamaw, southern end between dam and pier		Photo 12 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Onslow, 2016-06-12, Stones Creek Game Land
Photo 13 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Pamlico, 2015-09-04, Upper Broad Creek at Lee		Photo 14 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Bladen, 2015-08-23, Jones Lake State Park; circumnavigated lake in a kayak
Photo 15 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Granville, 2013-08-15, Lake Butner (Holt Lake) - 14 males, 1 pair in tandem		Photo 16 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Granville, 2013-08-15, Lake Butner (Holt Lake) - 14 males, 1 pair in tandem
Photo 17 by: E. Corey

Comment: Bladen, 2008-06-03, female		Photo 18 by: R Emmitt

Comment: Scotland, 2002-06-08, Cameron Lake, Female "spotted form"