About Gomphus vulgatissimus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Gomphus vulgatissimus, commonly known as the common clubtail, is a medium-sized dragonfly species in the family Gomphidae, with a wingspan of 6 to 7 centimeters. It is distributed across most of Europe, including southern France where it is currently present. Its natural habitats are clean, slow-flowing rivers and creeks with sandy substrate. Adults can be seen in flight from mid-April to August, with an earlier start in southern regions; in the British Isles, the adult flight period runs from mid-May to early July. After hatching out of water, adult common clubtails have a short lifespan. As the common name indicates, this medium-sized species has a distinctive club-shaped abdomen. Males are primarily black, with extensive yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen that turn green as the dragonfly ages. Females are black with extensive yellow markings.
