Identification

Field Marks

• Average adult size is approximately from 1.8 to 2.2 inches
• Face yellow and brown sometimes with a slight crossline and blue to purple eyes
• Brown thorax with the front two thoracic stripes completely fused together as well as the third and fourth completely fused
• Brown abdomen with triangular yellow top spots on segments 3-8
• Top spots start out long and almost arrow shaped on segment three and get progressively smaller until segment 8
• Tip of abdomen is barely clubbed with no top spot on segments 9 and 10
• Brown legs with pale line on tibiae
• Similar looking to Dusky but claspers are missing the downward spike or tooth

Field Marks

• Female looks similar to the male except for:
• Females eyes range from blue to violet
• Female ashy have a convex occiput
• Top spots on abdomen are generally longer than those on males

Similar Species

• Dusky Clubtail
• Dusky Clubtail males have a downward pointing tooth on the underside of the cerci, Ashy Clubtail males do not
• Ashy Clubtail females have a convex occiput, the Dusky Clubtail females have a tiara shaped occiput
• Lancet Clubtail
• The Lancet Clubtail is typically smaller than the Ashy Clubtail
• The Lancet Clubtail usually has a slim but noticeable separation between the first two thoracic stripes, the Ashy Clubtail has little to no separation
• The Lancet Clubtail male has lance shaped cerci, the Ashy Clubtail male has very plain cerci

Behavior

Males typically perch on the ground, rocks, logs, or low in vegetation, typically near the water where they patrol until early evening. When disturbed they fly in a series of semicircles and will usually perch back on the ground a short ways away

Habitat

Slow moving wooded streams and rivers and wave-beaten lake shores

Reproduction

Females lays eggs by dipping their abdomen into the water close to the bank or shoreline