Jade Clubtail

arigomphus submedianus

The Jade Clubtail (Arigomphus submedianus) is an elegant species of dragonfly belonging to the clubtail family, Gomphidae. Common to the central and eastern regions of North America, this insect is a fascinating aerial predator and an excellent indicator of freshwater ecosystem health. Its striking jade-green coloration, contrasted with dark brown or black patterning, makes it a magnificent sight when spotted along the edges of slow-moving rivers and calm lakes. During their early life stages, Jade Clubtails live as aquatic nymphs buried in soft sediment, where they act as fierce ambush predators before emerging to claim the skies. Adults are incredibly agile in flight, utilizing their aerial mastery to capture various flying pests, making them highly beneficial for natural pest control. Their presence near muddy waters adds a vibrant spark of life to riparian habitats, captivating nature enthusiasts and researchers alike.

生息地: Found near slow-moving muddy rivers, calm lakes, ponds, and sloughs with ample silt or clay substrate.

外見

The Jade Clubtail is a medium-sized dragonfly, ranging from 4.5 to 5.2 centimeters in length with a wingspan between 6 and 8 centimeters. It features a pale, jade-green thorax marked with distinct dark brown stripes, and a dark abdomen decorated with yellow-green spots along its top surface. True to its name, the tip of the abdomen is noticeably swollen or clubbed, especially in males. Its large compound eyes are widely separated across the top of its head, a defining family trait, and they typically shine with a grayish-green or light blue hue in mature individuals.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Odonata科Gomphidae属Arigomphus

Jade Clubtail

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

The eyes of clubtail dragonflies do not touch at the top of their heads, which is an easy way to distinguish them from other dragonfly families.

The nymph stage of the Jade Clubtail is much longer than its adult stage, lasting up to several years submerged in mud before emerging for a brief adult life of just a few weeks.

Unlike many other dragonfly species that perch high up on twigs, the Jade Clubtail prefers to rest flat on bare mud or low-lying leaves.

特殊能力

As aquatic larvae, they use specialized, shovel-like forelegs to rapidly burrow into mud and silt to ambush prey and hide from larger predators.

Their widely spaced, massive compound eyes provide a nearly 360-degree field of view, enabling them to detect tiny prey or incoming threats instantly.

They can fly forward, backward, and hover mid-air, transitioning instantly into a high-speed dive to intercept flying insects.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 4-6 cm
翼開長: 6-8 cm
体重: 0.001-0.003 kg
寿命: 1-3 年
Top Speed: 30 km/h
一度の産卵数: 100-500
抱卵期間: 7-30 日

食性と食事

They are carnivorous predators throughout their entire life cycle, consuming aquatic organisms as nymphs and transitioning to flying insects as adults.

年齢による違い: As aquatic nymphs, they feed on mosquito larvae, small worms, and other water invertebrates; as adults, they feed exclusively on flying insects caught mid-air.

主な食物

Mosquitoes
Midges
Flies
Mayflies
Small moths

採餌方法

Pursuit

生態系とのつながり

eaten by

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Adult clubtails are snatched from low perches or while flying close to the water surface by foraging green herons.

hunts

Common Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Both nymphs and adult clubtails actively hunt and consume mosquito larvae and flying adults, acting as natural population controllers.

eaten by

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

The aquatic nymphs residing in river sediment are a frequent food source for bottom-feeding bluegills.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Jade Clubtailを見分けるには？

Jade Clubtailを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Jade Clubtailの長さは何ですか？

4-6 cm

Jade Clubtailの翼開長は何ですか？

6-8 cm

Jade Clubtailの体重は何ですか？

0.001-0.003 kg

Jade Clubtailの寿命は何ですか？

1-3 年

Jade Clubtailのtop Speedは何ですか？

30 km/h

Jade Clubtailは何を食べますか？

They are carnivorous predators throughout their entire life cycle, consuming aquatic organisms as nymphs and transitioning to flying insects as adults.

Jade Clubtailは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found near slow-moving muddy rivers, calm lakes, ponds, and sloughs with ample silt or clay substrate.