Lancet Clubtail

Fascinating facts about the Lancet Clubtail

• Male lancet clubtails have claspers shaped like tiny lances, a form explicitly noted in their description. This lance-shaped morphology is the direct source of the common name lancet clubtail. In addition, the dragonfly's body is black with green stripes on the thorax, green triangles on the abdomen and yellow patches on the outer edges of the last two abdominal segments, giving it a distinctive colour pattern.
• Lancet clubtails are on the wing only between June and July, confining adult activity to early summer. During this time the adults measure about 4.3 cm in length.
• Adult lancet clubtails measure about 4.3 cm in length. They are most active during their flight period from June to July and have a black body with green stripes on the thorax, green triangles on the abdomen, and yellow patches on the outer edges of the final two abdominal segments.
• The lancet clubtail is a dragonfly that occurs widely and in large numbers throughout southern Manitoba, Ontario and the northeastern United States, making it a familiar sight across both Canadian provinces and the US northeast. It belongs to the family Gomphidae, a group of club-tailed dragonflies that are typically found near water.
• The IUCN classifies the lancet clubtail as Least Concern, indicating that there are no immediate threats to its survival. The assessment notes that the species' population is stable, with no evidence of decline that would warrant a higher risk category. This evaluation was last reviewed in 2018, confirming that recent surveys have not detected any major pressures on the species.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Lancet Clubtail

In the sun-dappled shallows of North America's rivers and streams, the Lancet Clubtail dances with delicate precision, its slender body undulating as it hovers in search of prey. With a flash of iridescent blue, this unassuming dragonfly darts and weaves through the water's edge, its remarkable agility and speed allowing it to thrive in a world of fast-moving currents and hidden dangers. As it alights upon a rocky outcropping, the Lancet Clubtail's intricate patterns and colors seem to shimmer and glow, a fleeting glimpse of beauty in a secret world of aquatic wonders.

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