Bug FAQWestern Clubtail
Gomphus pulchellus · Order: Odonata · Family: Gomphidae
Also called: Western Club-tail, Western Club-tailed Dragonfly
The Western Clubtail is a dragonfly about 47 to 50 mm long. Adults are pale olive-green with blue eyes and live near clean ponds, canals, and muddy holes. It is found in Western Europe but not in the British Isles, emerging in early spring and flying until August depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are mainly pale olive-green and have blue eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The species measures 47 to 50 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in clean ponds, canals, and clay or mud holes.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from early spring through August, depending on where they are found.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in Western Europe but is absent from the British Isles.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see Western Clubtails?
They start emerging in early spring, as early as late March in southern France, and can be seen flying until August, depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Gomphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphus_pulchellus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.