Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer) — a threatened dragonfly — was…

June 30, 2026Taconic Mountains

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(Arigomphus furcifer) — a threatened dragonfly — was confirmed in Vermont on May 29th. This species has one of the most demanding life histories in North America: nymphs spend years in vegetated, clean water before finally emerging as adults. A single confirmed sighting is significant, but it also sounds an alarm.

Of 27 assessed water bodies within ten miles of this record, six carry impairment designations. The Mettawee River, where the clubtail was likely found or is dependant upon its watershed, is on the state's 303(d) list—a formal acknowledgment that it cannot meet its designated uses without restoration. No total maximum daily load has yet been established to guide that work.

The Lilypad Clubtail does not thrive in compromised water. Its presence here is tenuous proof that some refuge remains — but the habitat it requires is becoming less common in its historic range.

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