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Skillet Clubtail
Gomphurus ventricosus
Gomphurus ventricosus, the skillet clubtail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found in south-eastern Canada and northeastern United States. It is considered rare across its range.
Prior to taxonomic revision in 2018, this species was known as Gomphus ventricosus.
From the article Gomphurus ventricosus on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The skillet clubtail is a black and yellow dragonfly with green to turquoise eyes and unmarked face. The abdomen has longitudinal yellow stripes and ends in a distinctively wide yellow-spotted "club". Males and females are similar, although the female's club is somewhat smaller. The club on this species is wider than its thorax and comparatively the widest of any clubtail.
Exuviae are unpatterned, with granular surface, and 28–29 millimetres (1.1–1.1 in) long.
Range & habitat
The skillet clubtail can be found from Kentucky and Virginia north to Minnesota, Michigan, and Vermont. Its range also includes small areas in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Wikipedia: “Distribution”
What it does
Males make short flights over the water, returning to perch in inconspicuous places. It also feeds in weedy fields near breeding habitat.
Wikipedia: “Behavior”
In human culture
The genus name Gomphurus comes from Gomphus ("bolt" or "nail") and "tail", referring to the wide clubs in this genus. The specific epithet ventricosus ("paunch", "bloated") probably a reference to the remarkably wide club of this species. The common name "skillet clubtail" is similar, with the thin abdomen and wide club looking like a frying pan.
Wikipedia: “Etymology”
Listen
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Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Gomphurus ventricosus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 520973.