HANDSOME CLUBTAIL

This is another Handsome Clubtail at Germantown. These dragonflies appear very similar to Midland Clubtails, but Handsomes have yellow spots on the top of both Segments 8 and 9 (the club). Midlands have a yellow triangle on Segment 8, but they typically have no yellow on the top of Segment 9.  

This individual was photographed along the Great Miami River, north of Dayton.  

Handsome Clubtails tend to be a little larger than Midland Clubtails. Also, note that there is one other look-alike species, the Plains Clubtail (rare in our area). The clubs on Handsome and Plains Clubtails are very similar. You can tell the two species apart by the stripes on the sides of their thorax. (A Plains Clubtail has 2 pairs of complete stripes, while a Handsome Clubtail has an interrupted 3rd stripe.) 

Cobra Clubtail - all black on the top of S8 & S9. 

Midland Clubtail - yellow triangle on the top of S8.

Handsome Clubtail - yellow spots on the top of S8 and S9. 

This is a female Handsome Clubtail, found at Germantown MetroPark. I verified this individual in hand from the subgenital plate. Females are very tricky to identify. Female Handsomes are similar to female Midlands, and the latter can occasionally show a small yellow spot on the top of Segment 9. One key difference, if it can be seen, is that female Midlands have pale stripes on their legs and female Handsomes usually do not. 

This is an aptly-named Handsome Clubtail! I think these are our most beautiful and colorful Gomphurus clubtails. 

This is the same individual as above, from a slightly different angle. Photographed at Taylorsville MetroPark on June 4, 2022.  He was being very cooperative and mugging for the camera! 

This Handsome Clubtail was photographed at Germantown MetroPark. There is a small population of Handsomes at Germantown, but they are vastly outnumbered at this location by the very similar Midland Clubtails. 

Close-up view of a Handsome Clubtail's club.

Another female Handsome Clubtail. This one was found at Darby Creek, near Columbus, on June 17, 2023. 

Handsome Clubtails have a limited flight period. Almost all of my sightings have been from late May through mid-June.