Minnesota Dragonfly

Eastern Least Clubtail

Stylogomphus albistylus

The Eastern Least Clubtail is a small wary Clubtail typically found near swift moving streams and rivers. Its small size, ringed abdomen, white terminal appendages and minimal club make it fairly easy to distinguish this species from most others found within its range

Identification

Field Marks
  • Average adult size is approximately 1.5 inches
  • Green eyes
  • Face is pale yellow bellow and dark on the top
  • Thorax is yellow with 4 dark side stripes
  • Top of thorax is dark with a slanting yellow dash running vertically on each side and a yellow horizontal line behind the neck which bumps up in the center
  • Dark abdomen with yellow rings, which are broken at the top, at the beginning of segments 3 to 7
  • Irregularly shaped side spots on segments 8 and 9
  • White terminal appendages

Click on photos above for a close-up view.

Natural History

Behavior

Eastern Least Clubtails are rather small and very wary. Males typically perch on exposed rocks or fly low over the water. When startled they often take cover in nearby trees. Females are rarely seen, except during mating and egg laying, preferring to spend most of their time in the trees

Habitat

Cool, clear, streams and small rivers with fast to moderate current. Typically with a sandy bottom and medium to large exposed stones

Reproduction

Males perch on exposed rocks or patrol low over rapids. Females are rarely seen. Females lay eggs in rapids by rapidly dipping their abdomen into the water Emergence typically takes place on flat exposed rocks

Range Maps

Click on the icons above for this species' range maps

Click here for county and state checklists from Odonata Central.

Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.