Gomphus vulgatissimus
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Clubtail sighting in Plitvice Lakes National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 51 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Common Clubtail in Plitvice Lakes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and July–October, the lowest months. That is one of Plitvice Lakes National Park's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain against 90 mm in August. December has too few records to rate.
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.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Common Clubtail sightings, Plitvice Lakes National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 30%) and Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Clubtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Plitvice Lakes National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
