Some of the rarest dragonflies in our area are quite muted in their appearance, like this male Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) that I spotted on Tuesday while exploring a park in Fairfax County in Virginia, the county in which I live. Sable Clubtails are generally found only in very small numbers, have a short flight period, and require very specific habitats. My good friend and fellow dragonfly enthusiast Walter Sanford did an extensive amount of research and re-discovered the Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) at this location in 2018.
When a dragonfly population is so small and localized, there is always a fear that they could be wiped out by extreme weather conditions or by a change in their habitat. At this specific location, the stream habitat has been compromised somewhat by increased silt and higher levels of vegetation as a result of some imprudent dumping of dirt and the resulting runoff. (For additional information about the damage to the stream and some of the back story of Walter’s re-discovery of the species, check out his June 2020 posting entitled Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Male, No. 1).)
Each year since Walter’s rediscovery I have returned to the same stream with a certain degree of trepidation, unsure if I will be able to find any members of this relatively rare species. This year I spotted them further upstream than previously, suggesting the possibility that the small Sable Clubtail population has relocated. According to the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, Sable Clubtails appear “to prefer small, relatively clean, shallow and stable forest streams, with plenty of low vegetation and a gentle flow.”
Over the next few weeks, I will probably return to this stream multiple times to see if I can gain a better understanding of the state of this population. I am hopeful that there will be signs that the population has rebounded and it would be really cool to spot a female Sable Clubtail too.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
I’m glad you found a good example, Mike. I love the shadows through the wings.
Thanks, Dan. I stumbled onto this dragonfly and was not able to immediately identify it for what it was. That did not stop me, though, from getting as good a shot of it as I could. I had only a single viewing angle and a limited amount of time before the dragonfly flew away, so I am even more thrilled with the image that I captured. I too love the shadows of the wings that make it appear that the dragonfly has either huge wings or lots of extra wings.
Looking at the detail of dragonfly wings is amazing. Who needs stained glass when there is such intricate beauty in nature ? Lovely.
Amen to that. I have always appreciated the intricate patterns in leaded glass, especially the ones that are not colored. The designs really show through without the distraction of the colors. I have examined dragonfly wings pretty closely and am amazed at the way that the individual cells are not all the same shape and size. Wow?
Super-winged illusion is terrific – actual and shadow matching in hue.
Thanks, Jazz. It is fun to play with perceptions and these shadows do just that.
That leaf with its perfect shape and color is a great compliment to the dragonfly wings. Spectacular photo, Mike
Thanks, Suzette. Sometimes dragonflies perch in places that are tangled masses of vegetation and it is hard to see them. This one cooperated by choosing a photogenic leaf on which to perch. 🙂
Wonderful when everything comes together.
Kudos to you both for “re-discovering” this one! Hopefully, it will be an annual experience.
I am hoping, although I believe in 2019 there was only a single sighting that we know of. So it was a huge deal last year when we spotted several of them. I know that at least one other person spotted a Sable Clubtail this year at that location. I ran into the guy this morning and he mentioned that he was prompted to go and look after I posted a photo in the Virginia Odonata Facebook group.
Very nice Mike! Hopefully you will see more!!
Thanks, Reed. I’m always on the lookout for more dragonflies, especially of these uncommon species.
[…] week in a posting entitled Sable Clubtail in June, I expressed my concern about the survivability of this uncommon dragonfly due to the degradation […]