Common Clubtail

• The clubtails are the only group of large European dragonflies whose eyes do not meet on top of the head, a feature that identifies them at a glance.
• Its larva lives buried in the sand of the riverbed for three or four years, with only its eyes and antennae clear of the sediment.
• It is sensitive to pollution and to the dredging of channels, and its presence indicates rivers with well-preserved natural beds.
• It belongs to the only family of European dragonflies whose eyes do not meet on top of the head: they are clearly separated, a trait that identifies it at a glance.
• The larva buries itself in the sand or silt of the bottom and lies in ambush, and its antennae and legs are adapted for digging.
• Adults move away from the water after emerging and spend much of their lives in woodland clearings and nearby meadows, which is why they are seldom seen beside the river.
• It is sensitive to pollution and to disturbance of riverbeds, and its presence indicates channels with clean sediment.
• On emerging it leaves the exuvia, the empty larval skin, attached to bankside vegetation; counting exuviae is the standard method for surveying the species without catching adults.

Skeleton type

Invertebrate - chitin exoskeleton (insect)

Habitat & environment

Slow-flowing rivers and streams with sandy and gravelly beds

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphus_vulgatissimus

Best time: May to July, on the banks of sandy-bedded rivers