Dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera, order Odonata, infraclass Paleoptera, subclass Pterygota, class Insecta, subphylum Hexapoda, phylum Arthropoda)
Dragonflies are predators that chew their food, have four wings that cannot be folded and undergo incomplete metamorphosis. They have a distinct young adult stage ("teneral"), looking like females for some time after last molt and completion of wing development, after which the males make a gradual transition to their distinctive colors. They are rapid and agile fliers that can control their forewings and hind wings independently; they can mate in flight. Nymphs are aquatic and adults terrestrial, although they rarely stray far from water. Sometimes they land in the water by mistake, perhaps when they are old or sick, and cannot escape. Methods of capturing prey vary: Blue Dashers, at one extreme, maintain a perch and wait for prey to come by; Wandering Gliders, on the other hand, are almost constantly flying at high speeds.
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Dragonfly Exuviae
These used to be exoskeletons of dragonfly nymphs, which exited through dorsal slits in the thorax. We usually don't get to see them in action because they emerge at night.
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| Dragonfly nymph exuvia, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 5/20/15 | Same exuvia | Dragonfly nymph exuvia, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/6/11 | Dragonfly exuvia, White Pines Nature Preserve, Chatham County, NC, 4/16/06 | Two views of a dragonfly exuvia shed at Milltail Road, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Dare County, NC, 5/7/06. | |
Petaltails (Family Petaluridae)
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| Gray Petaltail (Tachopteryx thoreyi), Haw River State Park, Guilford & Rockingham Counties, NC, 5/31/08 |
Darners (Family Aeshnidae)
Darners are large dragonflies, up to five inches long. They are not especially common, but are very conspicuous when flying.
Swamp Darners (Epiaeschna heros)
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| Swamp Darner, Durham, NC, 6/10/05. Found far from swamp. | Another view of the same Swamp Darner | Swamp Darner, Durham, NC, 6/29/05. This took place on the ground, a long distance away from the camera. |
Common Green Darners (Anax junius)
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| Perhaps young adult Common Green Darner, Ocracoke Island, 5/17/05 | Post-mating Common Green Darner pair, with male in front; he did this to keep her from mating with other males. Duke Gardens, 8/26/07 | Same Common Green Darner couple. | Male Common Green Darner, Durham, 7/27/06. This darner was constantly in flight at the edge of a swamp, but hovered long enough for me to take this photo. |
Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata)
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| Male Springtime Darner, Duke Forest (Gate 12), Orange County, NC, 4/7/06 |
Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa)
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| Fawn Darner, Penny's Bend Natural Area, Durham County, NC, 9/20/05 | Same Fawn Darner |
Comet Darner (Anax longipes)
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| Comet Darner, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 8/7/18 |
Clubtails (Family Gomphidae)
Like the Darners, Clubtails are large and conspicuous. Their distinctive eyes are widely separated. When at rest, they tilt their abdomens upward slightly. The "club" on their tails is not as striking as one would expect from their group name.
Eastern Least Clubtail (Stylogomphus albistylus)
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| Eastern Least Clubtail, a recent metamorph, Dismal Falls, Giles County, VA, 6/14/11. ID thanks to Don Holt of Johnson City, TN and to Giff Beaton, who replied independently. |
Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistyla)
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| Female Dragonhunter, Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/11/05. Thanks to Josh Rose for ID. Josh says the male has a skinnier abdomen. | Male Dragonhunter, Durham, NC, 7/3/21 |
Diminutive Clubtail (Phanogomphus diminutus)
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| Diminutive Clubtail, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Moore County, NC, 4/13/21 |
Common Sanddragon (Progomphus obscurus)
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| Common Sanddragon, Duke Gardens, 7/24/05. Jeff Pippen, leading a butterfly walk, identified this one at the time. | This Common Sanddragon was twisting its head around to take a good look at me, apparently: it took off soon afterwards. Durham, 6/18/05. Josh Rose provided this ID. | Male Common Sanddragon, Durham, 5/29/05. | Male Common Sanddragon, Durham, 7/15/05. As is the case with the other Common Sanddragons in this row, this one appeared far from any aquatic environment. |
Black-shouldered Spinylegs (Dromogomphus spinosus)
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| Female Black-shouldered Spinylegs (Dromogomphus spinosus), Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/11/05. ID for this and two dragonflies on the right provided by Josh Rose. | Male Black-shouldered Spinylegs, Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/23/05 | Male Black-shouldered Spinylegs, Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/23/05 |
Ashy Clubtail (Gomphus lividus)
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| Ashy Clubtail, Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC, 4/28/06 | This Ashy Clubtail, Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 4/10/08. It which had a deformed hind wing and sometimes closed its wings like a butterfly. | Ashy Clubtail, Penny's Bend, 4/5/06. Thanks to Randy Emmitt for ID help. | Ashy Clubtail, Eno River State Park, Few's Ford access, Cox Mountain, Orange County, NC, 4/12/06 |
Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni)
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| Two-striped Forceptail, Pitt County Arboretum lakefront, Greenville, NC, 7/29/17. ID confirmed by William Edwards. |
Lancet Clubtail (Gomphus exilis)
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| Lancet Clubtail, Occoneechee Mountain Natural Area, Orange County, NC, 4/9/06 |
Mystery Clubtails
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| Clubtail, White Pines Nature Preserve, Chatham County, NC, 4/16/06. It's hard to find any photos of eastern clubtails with two yellow spots on the "club." | Clubtail, White Pines Nature Preserve, Chatham County, NC, 4/16/06 |
Emerald (family Corduliidae)
Emeralds are mostly Northern dragonflies, but a few species appear in the South.
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| Female Selys' Sundragon (Helocordulia selysii), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/4/11 | Male Selys' Sundragon (Helocordulia selysii), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/10/14 | Female Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/27/17. ID thanks to William Edwards. | Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 7/9/06. ID thanks to Nick Block. | Male Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa), Durham, NC, 4/14/20 | Female Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa), Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC, 4/26/10. Seen close to Bobbitt's Hole. |
Common Baskettails (Epitheca cynosura, family Corduliidae)
These dragonflies are abundant during a brief period in the spring here.
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| Common Baskettail, Durham, NC, 4/2/20 | Common Baskettail, Durham, NC, 3/30/16 | Common Baskettail in flight, Durham, NC, 4/19/18 | Common Baskettail, Santee NWR, Orangeburg County, SC, 3/26/06 | Common Baskettail, Indian Creek Wildlife Observation Trail, Chatham County, NC, 4/4/06 | Common Baskettail, Occoneechee Mountain Natural Area, Orange County, NC, 4/9/06 |
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| Common Baskettail, Durham, 5/6/06. Notice that the hind wings are held at right angles from the front wings. | Another photo of the same Common Baskettail. Here the wings are not angled differently. |
Mantled Baskettail (Epitheca semiaquea)
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| Mantled Baskettail, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Moore County, NC, 4/13/21 |
Skimmers (Family Libellulidae)
Skimmers are the most common family of dragonflies. Their otherwise round eyes appear to be at least slightly flattened against each other (commonly described as "connected"). Unlike Darners and Clubtails, their abdomens are relatively short relative to the length of their wings.
Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis)
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| Male Golden-winged Skimmer, Ft. Fisher Aquarium (outdoors), New Hanover County, NC, 6/26/08 |
Needham's Skimmers (Libellula needhami)
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| Male Needham's Skimmer Fort Fisher, 7/16/04. About five of these red dragonflies showed up together at the beginning of the Basin Trail, but I've never seen any of this species before or since. Randy Emmitt and Josh Rose provided this ID. | Female Needham's Skimmer, Swan quarter, Hyde County, 5/21/17 |
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella)
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| Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Boone, Watauga County, NC, 6/30/18 | Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Durham, 8/21/05. | Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Durham, NC, 10/13/14 |
Bar-winged Skimmer (Libellula axilena)
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| Male Bar-winged Skimmer, Goose Creek State Park, Beaufort County, NC, 7/13/18 |
Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea)
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| Male Spangled Skimmer, Flat River Impoundment, Durham County, NC, 6/3/11 | Male Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea), Durham, NC, 5/13/18 | Male Spangled Skimmer, Haw River State Park, Guilford & Rockingham Counties, NC, 5/31/08 | Female Spangled Skimmer, Durham, NC, 5/14/17 | Female Spangled Skimmer, Haw River State Park, Guilford & Rockingham Counties, NC, 5/31/08 |
Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)
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| Male Slaty Skimmer, Durham, NC, 6/21/21 | Male Slaty Skimmer, Durham, NC, 8/12/12 | Male Slaty Skimmer, Durham, NC, 8/9/15. Note anomalous wing | Male Slaty Skimmer, Durham, NC, 6/10/18 | Male Slaty Skimmer, in a power line cut near a swamp. Durham, NC, 7/30/10 |
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| Female Slaty Skimmer, Durham, 7/12/05. I found this skimmer, probably a female, in a dark nook in woods not too far from a swamp. | Female Slaty Skimmer, Durham, 7/31/04 |
Painted Skimmers (Libellula cyanea)
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| Painted Skimmer, Durham, NC, 4/30/15 | Painted Skimmer, Durham, NC, 5/20/14 | Painted Skimmer, Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 7/17/15 | Painted Skimmer, Durham, NC, 7/1/14 | Painted Skimmer, Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/11/05. |
Great Blue Skimmers (Libellula vibrans)
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| Male Great Blue Skimmer, Durham, NC, 9/21/12 | Female Great Blue Skimmer, Durham, NC, 8/8/15 | Mating Great Blue Skimmers, Durham, 8/17/05. | Male Great Blue Skimmer, over a large water pipe. Durham, NC, 7/30/10. | Male Great Blue Skimmer, Durham, NC, 8/14/08. Very old, worn and faded. |
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| Female Great Blue Skimmer, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/20/05 | Female Great Blue Skimmer, Durham, 5/20/06 | Immature Great Blue Skimmer, on the edge of a power line cut |
Blue Corporals (Libellula deplanata)
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| Male Blue Corporal, Occoneechee Mountain Natural Area, Orange County, NC, 5/18/15 | Male Blue Corporal, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/28/15 | Male Blue Corporal, Eno River State Park (Cole Mill Road entrance, Orange County, NC, 4/14/16 | Transitional teneral Blue Corporal, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Moore County, NC, 4/6/18 | Female Blue Corporal, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 4/19/18 | Recent metamorph Blue Corporal, Sewee Visitors Center trail, Francis Marion National Forest, Charleston County, SC, 3/29/06 | Recent metamorph Blue Corporal, Ebenezer Church - Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Chatham County, NC, 4/2/11 |
Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)
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| Male Widow Skimmer, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 7/27/15 | Male Widow Skimmer, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/28/15 | Teneral male Widow Skimmer, Chatham County, NC, 8/12/15 | Teneral male Widow Skimmer, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 6/6/11 |
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| Female Widow Skimmer, Jordan Lake Dam area, Chatham County, NC, 8/12/15 | Female Widow Skimmer, Sandy Creek Park, Durham, NC, 5/31/11 | Mature female Widow Skimmer, Durham, NC, 6/10/10 | Female Widow Skimmer, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 6/7/14 |
Roseate Skimmers (Orthemis ferruginea)
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| Male Roseate Skimmer, Jordan Lake Gamelands, Chatham County, NC, 9/28/19 | Male Roseate Skimmer, Bailey Tract, Lee County, FL, 12/6/16 | Female Roseate Skimmer, Jordan Lake Gamelands, Chatham County, NC, 9/28/19 | Female Roseate Skimmer, Bailey Tract, Lee County, FL, 12/6/16 |
Meadowhawks (Sympetrum genus)
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| Male Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum), Abbott's Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, CA, 5/1/17 | Mating Variegated Meadowhawks (Sympetrum corruptum), Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, MS, 10/15/10 | Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum), Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, Hancock County, MS, 10/20/19 | Male Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum), Durham, NC, 9/16/09. Seen in my local marsh. | Male Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 10/5/09 |
Saddlebags (Tramea genus)
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| Male Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), Goose Creek State Park, 9/21/08 | Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), Durham, NC, 9/24/23 | Female Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina), found collapsed on the Third Fork Creek Trail, Durham, NC, 7/24/11 | Male Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina), Ft. Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 10/15/09 |
Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida)
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| Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida), near Carolina Lake, Carolina Beach, NC, 8/29/12 | Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida), Ft. Fisher Aquarium (outside), New Hanover County, NC, 6/26/08 |
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
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| Blue Dasher, Durham, NC, 7/1/19 | Male Blue Dasher, Durham, 6/9/05, in obelisk position. This skimmer is the most common dragonfly at a swamp in my neighborhood. See other Blue Dasher photos. | Female Blue Dasher, Durham, 8/13/05, also in obelisk position. Note the varied angles of the wings. | Teneral male eating a fly. Durham, 6/2/06 | Mating Blue Dashers, Durham, 9/1/08 |
Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina)
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| Female Halloween Pennant, Durham, NC, 7/24/16 | Halloween Pennant, Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC, 6/30/06. | Mating Halloween Pennants, Occoneechee Mountain, Orange County, NC, 8/12/06. Order products with this picture on them at our online store. | Male Halloween Pennant, meadow near Occoneechee Mountain, 9/4/04. Tim Allison provided the species name. | Female Halloween Pennant, Durham, 7/13/06. |
Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa)
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| Calico Pennant, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC, 5/20/10 | Male Calico Pennant , Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC, 6/4/06 | Male Calico Pennant, Haw River State Park, Guilford & Rockingham Counties, NC, 5/31/08 | Female Calico Pennant, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 5/20/09 |
Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)
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| Banded Pennant, Indian Creek Trail, a Jordan Lake Game Land, Chatham County, NC, 7/7/06 |
Eastern Amberwings (Perithemis tenera)
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| Male Eastern Amberwing, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, 8/2/07 | Male Eastern Amberwing, Flat River Impoundment, Durham, County, NC, 6/3/11 | Male Eastern Amberwing, Jordan Lake, Chatham County, NC, 6/15/17 | Male Eastern Amberwing, Peaks of Otter, Bedford County, VA, 8/19/18 | Male Eastern Amberwing, Durham, NC, 8/14/16 | Male Eastern Amberwing on hop clover leaves, Durham, NC, 7/14/12 |
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| Female Eastern Amberwing, Durham, NC, 9/1/24 | Female Eastern Amberwing, in a swamp, Durham, NC, 7/30/10 | Female Eastern Amberwing, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 9/3/08 | Female Eastern Amberwing, Durham, NC, 8/3/10 | Female Eastern Amberwing, Durham, 6/28/06 | Female Eastern Amberwing in obelisk position, alongside the Quarry Trail, Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC, 8/19/06 |
Little Blue Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax miniscula)
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| Adult male Little Blue Dragonlet, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 10/13/06 | Immature Little Blue Dragonlet, Harnett County, NC, 8/10/04. Identified as such by Bob Perkins (during a NABA butterfly count) as well as by Emmitt and Rose. | Immature Little Blue Dragonlet, seen at Carolina Beach State Park on 10/19/05. The park was flooded, apparently by Hurricane Ophelia in September, which may have brought the many dragonflies I saw there. | Adult female Little Blue Dragonlet, Airlie Gardens, Wilmington, New Hanover County, NC, 6/22/06. Sure it's a dragonlet, not so sure it's this species. |
Seaside Dragonlets (Erythrodiplax berenice)
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| Male Seaside Skimmer, nearly adult, Swan Quarter, Hyde County, NC, 5/21/17 | Teneral male Seaside Skimmer, Hyde County, NC, 5/21/17 | Another teneral male Seaside Skimmer, Hyde County, NC, 5/21/17 | Male Seaside Skimmer, nearly adult, Hyde County, NC, 5/21/17 | Adult male Seaside Skimmer, Hyde County, NC, 5/21/17 |
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| Female Seaside Dragonlet, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, New Hanover County, NC, 8/8/18 | Male Seaside Dragonlet, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, New Hanover County, NC, 8/6/18 | Post-mating Seaside Dragonlets, Hoop Pole Creek Trail, Atlantic Beach, Carteret County, NC, 7/23/08. The male stands on the female's head for a while afterward so she can't mate with any other males. | Male Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice), Ft. Fisher State Recreation Area, New hanover County, NC, 8/27/12 | Male-like female Seaside Dragonlet, Hoop Pole Creek Trail, Atlantic Beach, Carteret County, NC, 7/23/08. |
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
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| Teneral male Common Whitetail, Durham, NC, 7/18/11 | Teneral male Common Whitetail, Flat River Impoundment, Durham County, NC, 7/14/11 | Adult female Common Whitetail, Maosn Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 5/11/12 | Mature female Common Whitetail, Durham, NC, 7/14/11. These are much more common than the males. | Mature male Common Whitetail , Durham, 6/9/05. | Nearly mature Male Common Whitetail, Durham, 7/22/05. |
Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simpliciollus)
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| Female (or teneral) Eastern Pondhawk, Durham, NC, 7/3/21 | Female Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simpliciollus), Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access, 6/11/05 | Female Eastern Pondhawk with prey, Durham, 8/6/05 |
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| Well-fed adult male Eastern Pondhawk, Durham, 6/27/05. | Not so well-fed adult male Eastern Pondhawk, Durham, 8/6/06. This dragonfly is in worse shape the one on the left, skinnier and more worn. | Young male Eastern Pondhawk, Durham, 7/28/05, in transition from green coloring. | Young male Eastern Pondhawk (close-up), Durham, NC, 7/17/08. | Young male Eastern Pondhawk with prey, Durham, 6/17/06 |
Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)
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| Wandering Glider, Durham, NC, 8/7/20 | Wandering Glider, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, New Hanover County, 9/27/17 | Wandering Glider, Durham, NC, 9/2/21 | Wandering Glider, Durham, 10/1/05. This kind of dragonfly never stops flying, so I had to photograph it in the air. | This Wandering Glider was flying all around the Ft. Fisher Basin Trail on 10/18/05, but never landed. | Wandering Glider, Gulf Shores National Seashore, Ocean Springs, Harrison County, MS, 10/4/10 |
Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea)
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| Spot-winged Glider in an Old Salem garden, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC, 7/25/14 | Spot-winged Glider, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, New Hanover County, NC, 9/27/17 |
Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox)
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| Swift Setwing, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. ID thanks to Jason Forbes. |
Mystery Skimmers
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| Maybe a setwing (Dythemis genus), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 8/13/06 | Skimmer, White Pines Nature Preserve, Chatham County, NC, 4/16/06. This was a particularly tiny skimmer, about an inch long. |