Gray Petaltail Tachopteryx thoreyi (Hagen, 1858)S3 (Watch list)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Odonata   >   Family Petaluridae   >   Genus Tachopteryx   

Status:

Gray Petaltail (Tachypteryx thoreyi is Maryland's only representative of the ancient Petaluridae, a family of primitive dragonflies that now exists as a handful of geographically disjunct relict species on several continents. This large, distinctive species breeds in forested seeps, including steep hillside seeps, and ranges into nearby forest, where they often perch on tree trunks or other vertical surfaces, including people. The peculiar larvae are semiterrestrial, and live in muddy leaf litter in or near the seep (Paulson, 2011). Gray Petaltail is an S3 (watch list species) in Maryland.

There are 177 records in the project database.

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A Gray Petaltail in Howard Co., Maryland (6/16/2014). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Charles Co., Maryland (7/26/2014). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Charles Co., Maryland (7/26/2014). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Howard Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/28/2005). (c) Arlene Ripley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Arlene Ripley via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Closeup of the head of a Gray Petaltail in Howard Co., Maryland (6/3/2013). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Howard Co., Maryland (7/15/2020). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/26/2007) Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/26/2007). (c) Hans Holbrook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hans Holbrook. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/28/2013). Photo by Rod Burley. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, St. Mary's Co., Maryland (5/23/2012). Photo by Tony Leukering. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/11/2019). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/14/2021). (c) jasoneavery, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jason Avery. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/4/2019). Photo by Robert Warren. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Prince George's Co., Maryland (7/5/2021). (c) Lindsay D. Loyd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Lindsay D. Loyd via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/23/2019). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/25/2019). Photo by Anthony VanSchoor. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/2/2010). Photo by Don Haskins. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/10/2021). (c) tomfeild, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tom Feild. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail with Eastern Tiger Swallowtail prey in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (6/6/2020). Photo by Patty Craig. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/21/2020). (c) Nathaniel Schwartz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Nathaniel Schwartz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/3/2023). (c) rborchelt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rborchelt via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in the Catoctin Mountains, Frederick Co., Maryland (8/3/2008). Photo by Steve Collins. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/11/2016). Photo by Tim Friedlander. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail in Harford Co., Maryland (7/6/2014). First record for Harford County. Photo by Matt Hafner. (MBP list)

A Gray Petaltail feasting on a Tulip-tree Silkmoth in Howard Co., Maryland (6/23/2014). Photo by Grazina McClure. (MBP list)

Gray Petaltail preying on Magicicada in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/31/2021). (c) Scot Magnotta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Scot Magnotta via iNaturalist. (MBP list)


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