Common Clubtail

Common Clubtail

Gomphus vulgatissimus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Paris

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Paris
55 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Clubtail

Gomphus vulgatissimus, the common clubtail, is a medium-sized (wingspan 6 –7 cm.) species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found in most of Europe, and is present now in the south of France. Its natural habitats are clean, slow moving streaming rivers and creeks with sandy soil. It can be seen from mid-April in the south to August. Once they hatched out of water, they live shortly. As the common name suggests, this medium-sized species has a distinctive club-shaped abdomen. The males are black with extensive yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen which turn green as the insect ages. The females are black with extensive yellow markings. In the British Isles the adult flight period extends from mid May to early July.

"Gomphus vulgatissimus". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 28 May 2011. Media related to Gomphus vulgatissimus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Gomphus vulgatissimus at Wikispecies Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
~40%
2 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
3 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
4 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
5 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
2 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
3 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
4 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
5 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Clubtail in Paris?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Clubtail sighting in Paris on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 827th most-seen of the 916 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Clubtail in Paris?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Clubtail in Paris on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Common Clubtail?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Clubtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Paris the best place to see a Common Clubtail?

4th of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Common Clubtail sightings, Paris ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Turin (Italy, about 10%), Novosibirsk (Russia, under 5%) and Milan (Italy, under 5%).

Where does the Common Clubtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Clubtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Paris (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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