Potomac River at Landers Boat Launch 12-June-2026

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Yesterday morning I ventured to the Landers Boat Launch on the Potomac River in Frederick County to look for gomphids in the adjacent fields.  Not only did I find far more stinging nettles than dragonflies, but the heat added to the misery of the nettle stings.

In the three hours that I could handle being out I only saw two butterflies, a Zebra Swallowtail and an Emperor (Asterocampa sp.) which did not stick around long enough for me to get a species reading on it.  Except for Powdered Dancers, odonates were almost as infrequent.  The river had fluctuated due to the thunderstorms the day before which made for a muddy, slippery shoreline with few cast skins left to collect.  However, finding a dragonfly which I could not put a species name on did make the trip worthwhile.  A Gomphurus female eating a Spotted Lanternfly that had a face of a Cobra Clubtail and the thorax and abdomen of a Midland Clubtail still has me scratching my head (that is a good thing!).

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES SEEN:

Ebony Jewelwings (Calopteryx maculata) -- 2

Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) -- 1

Powdered Dancers (Argia moesta) -- 100+

Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis) -- 1

Stream Bluets (Enallagma exsulans) -- 3

Black-shouldered Spinylegs (Dromogomphus spinosus) — 2 adults and 4 cast skins

Eastern Ringtails (Erpetogomphus designatus) — 3 cast skins

Cobra Clubtails (Gomphurus vastus) — 2 adults and 1 cast skin

Unknown Clubtail (Gomphurus sp.) — 1 — female — See: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonflyhunter/55331069674/ 

Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros) -- 1

Umber Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia obsoleta) — 1 cast skin

Stygian Shadowdragons (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) — 3 cast skins

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) -- 1

Richard Orr