River Clubtail (Stylurus flavipes)

• English name: River Clubtail
• German name: Asiatische Keiljungfer
• French name: Gomphe à pattes jaunes
• Dutch name: Rivierrombout
• Swedish name: Större klubbtrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: Idänjokikorento
• Danish name: Gulbenet flodguldsmed
• Italian name: Gonfo zampegialle
• Czech name: klínatka žlutonohá
• Slovenian name: Rumeni porečnik
• Bulgarian name: Жълто цигулче

River Clubtail
(Stylurus flavipes)

Not present

Present before 1990

Present after 1990

Present before and after 1990

Present after 2015

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies

General		• a medium-sized black-and yellow species with a very patchy distribution in central and eastern Europe
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Gomphidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Stylurus flavipes (Charpentier, 1825)
Name genus		• Stylurus: from Grk. στῦλος = pillar, pole +; οὐρά = tail ⇒ possibly for the long and narrow ninth abdominal segment in the larvae
Name species		• flavipes: from Lat. flavus, -a, -um = yellow +; pes = foot, leg ⇒ for the extensively yellow legs
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• wide, slow-flowing rivers with a sandy bottom
Dimensions		• typical body length: 50-55 mm; hindwing: 30-35 mm
Notes		• gomphids are 'sitters': they spend a lot of time perched on rocks and vegetation
Both sexes	Head	➤ like in all other gomphids, the eyes are widely separated
	Thorax	• the black lines on the side of the thorax are thin
		• the antehumeral stripe is very wide
		➤ the black line on the metapleural suture is not forked; in all other European Gomphus species this line is forked
	Legs	➤ the legs are black with extensive yellow lines on the tibiae and femura
Male	Head	• the eyes are blue
	Abdomen	➤ S10 is entirely black dorsally
Female	Head	• the eyes are green
Photographs		• all of our photos below were made in central and northern Italy

LineDrawing: the male's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.

Stylurus flavipes (left) and Gomphus schneiderii (right); thorax
Note: In Stylurus flavipes the black line on the metapleural suture is not forked. In Gomphus schneiderii and all other European Gomphus species it is.