Spine-crowned Clubtail Scientific Name Family Name Gomphus abbreviatus Hagen in Selys, 1878 Gomphidae Clubtails Did you know? There are at least 1,000 species of Clubtails worldwide (Dunkle 2000). Photo credits: Thomas Donnelly Summary Protection Not listed in New York State, not listed federally. Rarity G4, S1 This level of state protection means: The species is not listed or protected by New York State. A global rarity rank of G4 means: Apparently secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. A state rarity rank of S1 means: Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology makes it especially vulnerable in New York State. Conservation Status in New York The Spine-crowned Clubtail is known to occur in eight counties in New York State (Donnelly 2004, New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). Population estimates have not been made. This species is secretive in its habits, and it is probably more common than records indicate. Further survey efforts may result in the identification of additional populations or range expansions, and may enable population sizes to be estimated. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus)
Short-term Trends No estimate of population size for the Spine-crowned Clubtail has been made based on observations between the 1990s and 2002 (Donnelly 2004, New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). Information prior to this time frame is limited. Therefore, any new location information on the Spine-crowned Clubtail in New York may reflect heightened interest in surveying for this species rather than a population increase or a range expansion (Holst 2005). Long-term Trends Recent observations of Spine-crowned Clubtails have been made between the 1990s and 2002 in Broome, Chenango, Orange, Delaware, and Sullivan counties, and the species is also known to occur in Tompkins, Steuben, and Westchester counties based on early observations (Donnelly 2004, New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). Since there is limited historical information and the full extent and size of the populations have not been determined, long-term trends are unclear. Conservation and Management Threats Any activity which might lead to water contamination or the alteration of natural hydrology could affect Spine-crowned Clubtail populations (Holst 2005). Such threats may include roadway and agricultural run-off, industrial pollution, the building of dams, recreational boating, and development near their habitats (Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program 2003, Holst 2005). Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Any efforts to reduce roadway and agricultural run-off, industrial pollution, flow manipulation, development of upland stream borders, and contamination of fast-flowing streams should be considered when managing for this species (Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program 2003, Holst 2005). Research Needs Further research is needed to define the distribution and population size of the Spine-crowned Clubtail. In addition, research is required to understand the habitat requirements, life history, and threats to this species, and to create appropriate management guidelines for its persistence in known locations (Holst 2005). Habitat Spine-crowned Clubtails inhabit clean, medium to large streams and rivers with sandy or rocky substrates containing muck deposits (Dunkle 2000, Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program 2003, Nikula et al. 2003). Larvae are aquatic, while adults are terrestrial and are found in habitats surrounding streams and rivers. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus) 2
Associated Ecological Communities Other Probable Associated Communities Confined river Associated Species Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor) Extra-Striped Snaketail (Ophiogomphus anomalus) Identification Comments Identifying Characteristics Behavior Diet As their name suggests, Clubtails have an enlarged tip on the end of their abdomens, giving them a club-like appearance. Adult Spine-crowned Clubtails are stocky, 1.3 to 1.5 inches long, and have a yellow face. They have black legs and gray-blue to green eyes that are separated dorsally. Males have a dark-brown thorax with thick, yellow, dorsal (top) stripes forming a broken "U". Their sides are yellowish-gray with two narrow, black stripes. Spine-crowned Clubtails have a black abdomen with yellow appearing on segments 1-7 and yellow lateral (side) spots on segments 8 and 9. Females are similar in appearance, but have a less developed club, more yellow on their abdominal sides, and a dorsal spot on segment 10. Male terminal appendages and female subgenital plates are distinctive from other Gomphus species when examined under magnification. Female Clubtails oviposit (lay eggs) by tapping the tips of their abdomens onto the surface of swift-flowing water while simultaneously releasing eggs (Mead 2003, Nikula et al. 2003). Male Spine-crowned Clubtails hover over riffles and perch on rocks in streams and rivers (Nikula et al. 2003). This species is extremely elusive in behavior (Donnelly 1999). Spine-crowned Clubtail larvae feed on smaller aquatic invertebrates and adults feed on insects which they capture in flight. The Best Time to See Adult Spine-crowned Clubtails have been found in New York from May through June, but could probably also be found in July (Nikula et al. 2003, New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). They are known to be the most active in late afternoon, but males could begin patrolling habitats in mid-morning (Dunkle 2000). NYNHP Conservation Guide - Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus) 3
Present Reproducing Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Similar Species The time of year you would expect to find Spine-crowned Clubtail in New York. Green-Faced Clubtail(Gomphus viridifrons): Female Green-faced Clubtails have an all-black abdominal segment 10, while the Spine-crowned adult female has a dorsal (top) yellow spot on this segment. Mustached Clubtail(Gomphus adelphus): The Mustached Clubtail has black facial stripes whereas the Spine-crowned Clubtail lacks these markings (Dunkle 2000, Nikula et al. 2003). The Mustached male's club is mostly black compared to the yellow lateral (side) spots on the Spine-crowned male's club (Nikula et al. 2003). Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Animalia Mandibulates (Mandibulata) Order Insects (Insecta) Family Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) Gomphidae (Clubtails) Additional Resources Links NatureServe Explorer http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/natureserve?searchname=gomphus+abbrevia TUS Google Images http://images.google.com/images?q=gomphus+abbreviatus References Abbott, J.C. 2007. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the odonata of North America. Austin, Texas. Available at http://odonatacentral.com (accessed February 28, 2007). Donnelly, T.W. 1992. The Odonata of New York. Bulletin of American Odonatology, 1: 1-27. Donnelly, T.W. 1999. The dragonflies and damselflies of New York. Prepared for the 1999 International Congress of Odonatology and First Symposium of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association. July 11-16, 1999. Colgate University, Hamilton, New York. 39 pp. Donnelly, T.W. 2004. The Odonata of New York State. Unpublished data. Binghamton, NY. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus) 4
Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragonflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. Oxford University Press: 266 pp. Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995. Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Mead, K. 2003. Dragonflies of the North Woods. Kollath-Stensaas Publishing, Duluth, MN. 2003 pp. Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program. 2003. Spine-crowned clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus). Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, MA. Available http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw/nhesp (accessed April 19, 2007). NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA Needham, J.G., M.J. Westfall, Jr., and M.L. May. 2000. Dragonflies of North America. Revised edition. Scientific Publishers, Gainesville, Florida. 939 pp. New York Natural Heritage Program. 2007. Biotics Database. Albany, NY. New York Natural Heritage Program. No date. New York dragonfly and damselfly survey database. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2005. Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Planning Database. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. Nikula, B., J.L. Loose, and M.R. Burne. 2003. A field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of Massachusetts. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Westborough, MA. 197 pp. Walker, E.M. 1958. The odonata of Canada and Alaska. Vol 2. The Anisoptera-four families. Univ. Toronto Press 318 pp. New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4757 Phone: (518) 402-8935 acris@nynhp.org This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 08, 2017 This guide was authored by NYNHP Conservation Guide - Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus) 5