The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species

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Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE: Number of records for 2024 = 0

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Seepage Dancer (Argia bipunctulata) by Mark Shields
Compare with: Familiar Bluet   Atlantic Bluet   Hagen's Bluet  
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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 Seepage Dancer
Flight Charts
Distribution Scattered throughout the Piedmont and western two-thirds of the Coastal Plain; of spotty occurrence in the mountains and eastern Coastal Plain, and apparently absent in the Tidewater zone.
Abundance Fairly common to locally common in the Sandhills region. Elsewhere, rare to uncommon (and perhaps local) across the Piedmont and the western 50-60% of the Coastal Plain (excluding the Sandhills). Rare in the mountains and central Coastal Plain, and apparently absent in nearly all counties that border the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. There have been relatively few recent records from the Piedmont, and it seems likely to have declined there, where it is now essentially rare.
Flight Mid-April to mid-October in the Coastal Plain, and mid-May (if not earlier) to late September in the Piedmont. The few mountain records fall between late May and late August.
Habitat As the name implies, found around seeps or boggy places, where there are abundant sedges. Most NC records are from the margins of ponds, typically with boggy margins.
Behavior This species looks and behaves like a bluet (genus Enallagma) and not a typical dancer (genus Argia). Males perch somewhat inconspicuously on grasses or other vegetation, very close to shore, but often in sunny places. They seldom perch on the ground like other dancers, another feature that makes a Seepage Dancer more like a bluet!
Comments This dancer can be easily overlooked because it often perches low in dense herbaceous vegetation around pond margins and seepage areas. Two one-day tallies of 100 in Scotland County are by far the most seen in a single day; the next highest tally is 40 individuals. Paulson (2011) indicates that, because its seepage habitat is somewhat limited, populations tend to be localized and not widespread over a large region. Despite it having been reported from over 45 counties in the state, one must travel to the Sandhills to have a reasonable chance of finding this species.
State Rank S3S4
State Status
Global Rank G4
Federal Status
Synonym
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 10:53:47

Photo Gallery for Seepage Dancer   15 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Photo 1 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent

Comment: Richmond; C, 2022-08-17, Sandhills Game Land -- Bagget Lake area - at seep crossing a dirt road. Photo by Lori Arent
Photo 2 by: Paul Hart

Comment: Harnett; C, 2019-07-26 - Anderson Creek County Park
Photo 3 by: Scott Pohlman

Comment: Cumberland, 2019-07-05, Kornbow Lake
Photo 4 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Onslow, 2019-05-27, Stones Creek Game Land, Dry Lake area
Photo 5 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2019-05-13, Naked Creek at Derby Road - mating pair
Photo 6 by: Hunter Phillips

Comment: Onslow, 2019-05-06, Stones Creek Game Land
Photo 7 by: Mark Shields

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

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land
Photo 9 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land
Photo 10 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2016-07-23
Photo 11 by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin

Comment: Henderson, 2015-05-28, Common in a floodplain bog.
Photo 12 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett, Matt Anderson

Comment: Scotland, 2015-05-03 - Recently emerged to mature males and females around Scotland Lake.
Photo 13 by: Kyle Kittelberger

Comment: Moore; C, 2013-06-12, Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve - male at small beaver pond
Photo 14 by: Ali Iyoob, Matt Daw, Dan Irizarry

Comment: Scotland, 2011-05-05, Scotland Lake in the Sandhills Game Land
Photo 15 by: Scott Hartley

Comment: Moore; C, 2006-08-14, Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve - male