Clubtail Dragonflies, Gomphidae, of California

This is the webpage for
California Spiketails, Cruisers and Petaltails
aka
California Macromiidae, Macromiidae and Petaluridae

The companion website to Dragonflies (Anisoptera) of California.

MIXED FAMILIES: all are black with yellow markings Field/photo key to black & yellow mixed families dragonflies	MIXED FAMILIES - Black and Yellow Coloration 3 CA families, each with one species, totaling 3 species: sizes: large; lengths: 54 - 85 mm males: members of these families & genera have dark background color with yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen; compare by markings, eye shape and color, and by appendage shapes females: marked like the males but bodies more stout habitats: life cycle of 2+ years in rivers, streams, seeps behaviors: Petaltail flight weak, others very strong fliers distribution: Petaltail in north; others almost statewide nymph: see individual species' links Cruisers Macromiidae - gray eyes just touch each other; single yellow stripe thorax side; long legs; body arched in powerful flight - 1 CA species Petaltail Petaluridae - dark eyes do not touch; spots (not stripes) on thorax & abdomen; long stigma; petal-like appendages; nymph semi terrestrial, burrows in seeps - 1 CA species (uncommon) Spiketails Cordulegasteridae - teardrop shaped blue eyes barely touch each other; thorax - two wide yellow stripes top and each side - 1 CA species (2 races)

Photos male male male male male images by Ray Bruun at his Flickr website images by Doug Aguillard at his website images by Alan Wight at his website female female female female, eating an American Emerald! live nymph in burrow nymph photos and info exuvia Scans male male male male male male male male female nymph exuviae	Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni size: large, length 54 - 61 mm, wingspan 70 - 76 male: dark eyes do not touch; black thorax has spots (not stripes) ; black abdomen with variable yellow marks atop segments 2-7; flared, petal-like, appendages; long stigma; female: similar to male but body broader and often showing more yellow habitat: seeps; often associated with serpentine soils and the carnivorous Pitcher Plants (Darlingtonia) behavior: weak flier; perch by 'clinging;' known to perch on people! nymph are semi terrestrial building burrows in seeps California flight period: May - August, mostly seen early in the season California distribution: northern hills and mountains (rare) California distribution map Southwestern distribution map
Photos male male male male immature male photo by Tom Murray at his website images by Ray Bruun at his Flickr website images by Doug Aguillard at his website images by Don Roberson at his Monterey website pair in wheel female female female female female female female female ovipositing female ovipositing female ovipositing female ovipositing female ovipositing (26s movie) nynph- CA Scans male male male female exuvia Desert Race male C. d. deserticola* male male C. d. deserticola* male male C. d. deserticola* male (in town of Bishop) male by Dennis Paulson at his website C. d. deserticola* Scans *male, desert race	Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis dorsalis archaic name - yellow-backed biddie size: very large, length 70 - 85 mm, wingspan 88 - 105 male: pale face; beautiful tear-drop shaped blue eyes barely touch; dark thorax with two wide yellow stripes on the top and on the sides; abdomen dark with yellow spots on segments 2- 9 female: like male with thicker body; long spike like ovipositor; dark wing tips behavior: powerful flyer; both sexes hang-perch; females oviposit into mud at stream sides in a sewing machine-like vertical up and down movement (often in shady area) habitat: hillside small wooded streams California flight period: April - November California distribution: all foothills, eastern mountains California distribution map Southwestern distribution map Desert Race* * C. d. deserticola (desert race) shows more yellow - thin yellow lines between spots comparative scans California flight period: June 21 - August 27 California distribution: eastern - Owens Valley area C. d. deserticola (desert race) Eastern CA, NV, *UT?
Photos male male male male male male male images by Ray Bruun at his Flickr website images by Don Roberson at his Monterey website female female female pair in cop Scans male male male male female female	Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica size: very large, length 68 - 74 mm, wingspan 88 - 100 male: pale face; pearly gray eyes touch each other; dark thorax has single yellow side stripe and only a half-length stripe on top; slightly clubbed abdomen has squared yellow spots on top, the spot on segment 8 is the largest; very long legs; flies with the abdomen in a slight arch female: like male, not clubbed nymph: sprawlers; 'spider-like' exuvia: often found under bridge supports habitat: lowlands streams and rivers behavior: both sexes hang-perch; pretend to 'sting' you when held in-hand; males fly beat along river edges a foot or two off the water surface California flight period: April - September California distribution: all but the southern part of the state California distribution map Southwestern distribution map

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Kathy Biggs, Azalea Creek Publishing
Kathy Biggs
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Go to the California Damselflies page End of webpage about the MIXED families. Use your back button to go to the opening page).