midland clubtail

not listed

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Midland clubtail is an early season, medium-sized clubtail.

The thorax is large and yellow with black markings including two lateral thoracic stripes. The first (anterior) stripe is incomplete or interrupted. The second (posterior) is variable or absent.

The abdomen is slender and black with yellow markings. The upper (dorsal) surface or abdominal segments 1 through 7 have narrow, elongated, lance-shaped spots. Segment 8 has a small yellow triangle. Segments 7, 8, and 9 are expanded into a “club” that is only slightly narrower than the thorax. They have no dorsal markings but have large yellow spots on the sides.

The color of this dragonfly varies with the temperature. In warm temperatures the light areas on the thorax and abdomen are yellow. In cool temperatures these areas are grayish-green. The markings on the side of expanded abdominal segments 8 and 9 are always yellow.

The head is small. The face lacks the black horizontal stripe found on many other species of dragonflies. The large compound eyes do not meet at the top of the head. They are gray in warm temperatures, aqua blue in cool temperatures.

The legs are black. The fourth segment of the hind leg of the female often has a pale lateral stripe.

The wings are clear except for dark stigmas. The wing triangle, a section of intersecting veins about 20% of the way from the base to the wingtip, is about the same size in the forewing and the hindwing.

2″ to 2⅜″

Plains clubtail (Gomphurus externus) has a large yellow dorsal spot on abdominal segment 9.

Splendid clubtail (Gomphus lineatifrons) is larger. It has a black horizontal face stripe and usually no dorsal spot on abdominal segment 8.

Moderately to fast flowing rivers and large streams, large lakes with emergent vegetation.

Early June to late July

The adult perches on the ground or a rock on a bank or shoreline. It is a very strong flier and often patrols open water far from land.

The female does not have an ovipositor. She lays eggs by washing them off in fast-flowing water in streams or rivers, or in waves on lakes.

Flying insects, including other dragonflies.

Sources

7, 17, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

Uncommon

This species was formerly classified as Gomphus fraternus. In an attempt to clarify the relationships of species in the genus Gomphus (Needham, 1947) , five subgenera were proposed. This species was placed in the subgenus Gomphurus. In later years, several other subgenera were defined. Nine of the genera were grouped in what was called the Gomphus complex. A recent phylogenetic analysis (Ware, et al., 2017) raised all nine subgenera in the complex to genus level, and Gomphus fraternus became Gomphurus fraternus.

So many dragonflies this week!

Location: Lake Shore

So many dragonflies this week!

Location: Mississippi River Bank, North Minneapolis

I Came Upon thousands of clubtails emerging there nymph exoskeletons as dragonflies and drying their wings. By afternoon all of the dragonflies were gone.