SULPHUR-TIPPED CLUBTAIL

SULPHUR-TIPPED CLUBTAIL

Gomphus militaris
CLUBTAIL FAMILY (Gomphidae)

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The Sulphur-tipped Clubtail is approximately 2 inches or 50 mm in length. The face is cream-colored to yellow and the eyes are blue. The thorax is green with black stripes. The black shoulder stripes are moderately wide with a well-defined pale space between them. The abdomen is black with dorsal yellowish arrows that are shortened on Segment 7. Segments 8 and 9 are mostly yellow with some rusty coloration along the sides. Segment 10 contains the male claspers with an oblong yellow spot on top. The legs are black with yellow stripes on the outside of both the femur and tibia. Females are colored like males but with a less conspicuous club on the end of the abdomen.

 

This clubtail is probably uncommon in our area. Although it is known to be present in western Iowa its presence in eastern Nebraska has not been well defined.

 

The normal habitat for this clubtail is ponds, lakes, streams and slow-moving rivers with muddy bottoms. The hunting strategy for these clubtails is to perch on the ground or on flat surfaces near the ground to fly out and back at intervals to capture flying insects.

 

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