Odonata93 species

Family Clubtails (Gomphidae)

Gomphidae is a family in the order Odonata. Browse 93 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Gomphidae (93)

Broad-striped Forceptail

Aphylla angustifolia

Identification: Yellow bands on the sides of the thorax alternate between broad and narrow. Other similar species in its range (Aphylla, Phyllocycla, and Phyllogomphoides spp.) have all bands the same width.

Two-striped Forceptail

Aphylla williamsoni

Identification: Note two broad, yellow thoracic stripes. Females sometimes have a very narrow stripe in between these two . The author of this species is Leonora Katherine Doll Gloyd (29 August 1902 near Larned, Kansas - 2 June 1993). She married How

Stillwater Clubtail

Arigomphus lentulus

Identification: The two brown shoulder stripes are about the same size. Thorax is a muted yellowish green. From abdominal segements 3 to 6 there are pale rings, and this part of the abdomen looks unusually pale at first glance. Segments 7 to 9 are a

Black-shouldered Spinyleg

Dromogomphus spinosus

Identification: Spines on upper leg are of two lengths, longer ones interspersed with shorter ones. Capital "I" on top of thorax is distinctive.

Blue-faced Ringtail

Erpetogomphus eutainia

Identification: Only clubtail with blue on the face and thorax. The rings on the abdominal segments are also distinctive. can be quite common along the shore lines of both the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers (OC)

Tamaulipan Clubtail

Gomphurus gonzalezi

This is a TPWD Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) It's also on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Cobra Clubtail

Gomphurus vastus

Identification: See Tennessen , Needham . Walker for key to families and genera. See Tennessen , Needham for key to species Nymph : Character states for vastus include: 1. Ligula flat (as in all species except lineatifrons . 2. End tooth of palpal bl

Mustached Clubtail

Hylogomphus adelphus

Identification: Adult: face white or pale green with two horizontal black stripes - hence the common name, Mustached Clubtail; eyes green (or brown in young adults); thorax with broad U-shaped dorsal stripes, pale gray or greenish (or bright yellow i

Banner Clubtail

Hylogomphus apomyius

small uncommon species, originally described from the Sam Houston NF in se TX - OC

Extra-striped Snaketail

Ophiogomphus anomalus

Identification: Has an extra black stripe on the thorax: Also has black stripes on the face and black legs.

Appalachian Snaketail

Ophiogomphus incurvatus

Identification: Rather small for a Snaketail. Has no, or very reduced dark stripes on side of thorax. Male has blueish eyes.

Rusty Snaketail

Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis

Identification: Mostly brownish abdomen with sparse thoracic striping. Thorax looks entirely green from a distance. Male Female

St. Croix Snaketail

Ophiogomphus susbehcha

Discovered on the upper St. Croix River in Wisconsin in 1989 by William A. Smith, a zoologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Inventory Program (Brody, 1997; Seitz, 2020).

Harpoon Clubtail

Phanogomphus descriptus

Identification: Abdomen slender, barely clubbed, mostly black. Legs black, except streak on rear tibia of female. Eyes dark grayish-green . Note distinctive "harpoon-like" cerci of male:

Lancet Clubtail

Phanogomphus exilis

Identification: Abdomen has dorsal yellow stripe along full length. See Dunkle for other marks. Most common eastern clubtail . Male In dorsal view, note the blue/gray eyes, brown thorax , yellow stripe on all segments (although weak on S8 & S10 in th

Pronghorn Clubtail

Phanogomphus graslinellus

Identification: face greenish-yellow, scarcely marked with brown; thorax green with well-defined dorsal and lateral stripes; middorsal thoracic stripe parallel-sided; antehumeral stripe largely fused with humeral stripe, but diverging at upper end an

Sulphur-tipped Clubtail

Phanogomphus militaris

Identification: Blue eyes with yellow face; thorax and abdomen with a lot of yellow markings; T1-2 well-developed and narrowly separated; T3-4 narrower and widely separated; hind femur marked with yellow; abdomen black with yellow spear points from S

Oklahoma Clubtail

Phanogomphus oklahomensis

Considered by Oklahoma to be a "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN) The author of the species, A. Earl Pritchard, was from Stillwater, Oklahoma, and he would have been just 20 years old when he described this species (Essig Museum, Pritchar

Dusky Clubtail

Phanogomphus spicatus

Identification: A medium-sized clubtail with dull colouration. Mostly brown with dull yellow makings, except that when recently emerged the yellows are a lot brighter. Dorsally, abdomen has an almost contiguous yellow stripe on S1-S7, each component

Laura's Clubtail

Stylurus laurae

Identification: Green eyes, dark brown face. Males have green thoracic markings and brown legs, females yellow thoracic markings and thighs. The wide diffuse lateral brown strip on the thorax distinguish this species from Riverine and Towne's clubtai

Elusive Clubtail

Stylurus notatus

Identification: Blue eyes are distinctive among similar species. Length of S8 and S9 are similar (S9 much longer in Arrow Clubtail ( S. spiniceps ).

Russet-tipped Clubtail

Stylurus plagiatus

Identification: Greenish thorax, rusty club, green eyes. See print references for discussion, note geographic variation.

Arrow Clubtail

Stylurus spiniceps

Identification: In the genus Stylurus (the Hanging Clubtails) this is the only North American species with adbominal segment 9 noticeably longer than abdominal segement 8. The last two segments (s9 and s10) are dark on the dorsal surface.