Nebraska Dragonflies and Damselflies

Elusive Clubtail

Stylurus notatus

Rambur, 1848

The Elusive Clubtail is a slender, greenish-yellow species with brown stripes on the thorax. Abdominal segments 8 and 9 have large pale green to yellow side spots. It patrols open waters of large rivers but perches inaccessibly in treetops, where it hangs vertically from leaves, a posture common to other species of this genus of "hanging" clubtails.. The female resembles the male. This is a rare species in Nebraska, where it is at the western edge of its range.

Photo courtesy of Loren and Babs Padelford.

Green indicates accepted county record (specimen or photograph).
Yellow indicates sight record only.