Common Clubtail Dragonfly vs Twin-spotted Spiketail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Clubtail Dragonfly Twin-spotted Spiketail
Scientific Name Ictinogomphus ferox Cordulegaster maculata
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Gomphidae Cordulegastridae
Size 55-65 mm body length 68-78 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia) North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Clubtail Dragonfly

A large, boldly marked black and yellow dragonfly with a distinctly clubbed abdomen tip. It is a powerful flier that perches prominently on vegetation overlooking water.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most voracious aerial predators among East African dragonflies, often catching prey nearly as large as itself.

Twin-spotted Spiketail

A large, dark brown spiketail with paired yellow spots on each abdominal segment. It is the most common spiketail in eastern North America.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae lie partially buried in stream-bottom leaf litter and ambush passing prey.