Gomphus septima (Westfall, 1956)
Septima's Clubtail
NatureServe Global Rank: G2
Virginia State Rank: S1
VA DGIF Tier: II
Federal Legal Status: None
Virginia Legal Status: None
Description: Septima's Clubtail is a moderately sized clubtail with a narrow club and mostly unmarked sides of a gray-green thorax. The overall color including the legs is a dark brown rather than black, as in most clubtails. Abdominal segments 3-7 have a complete narrow yellow line above. Segments 8-9 are dark above with yellow marks on the side. The face is unmarked. The size range is 53-62 mm (2.1 - 2.4 inches).
North American Range: Septima's Clubtail has a scattered, disjunct range in the eastern United States from New York to Alabama. In Virginia, it is historically known only from the southern Piedmont counties of Nottoway and Lunenburg. Photographs of this species from Fluvanna County are the only recent records.
VA Observations by Locality: Lunenburg | Nottoway | Fluvanna
Flight season and broods: Septima's Clubtail has been found from 14 May to 26 May in Virginia, but flight dates in North Carolina range from late April through May.
Aquatic Habitat: Septima's Clubtail prefers to live around medium to large rivers.
Behavior and Ecology: Septima's Clubtail seems to be most active from the late morning to early evening.
Population trend and potential threats: Septima's Clubtail is one of the rarest dragonflies in North America. It is listed as critically imperiled in five of the six states where it is known to occur (NatureServe, 2011).
Management practices: Monitor and protect occupied habitats.
References: Carle, F.L., 1982. A contribution to the knowledge of the Odonata. Ph.D. thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. 1,095 pp.
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer (Accessed: Sept. 5, 2012).
Paulson, Dennis. 2011. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford. 538 pp.
Roble, Steven M. 2011. Dragonflies of Virginia- Flight dates. Unpub.