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Gillian | all galleries >> Dragonflies >> Clubtails (Family Gomphidae) >> Genus Phanogomphus > Gomphus sp.
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15-JUN-2013 Gillian Mastromatteo

Gomphus sp.

Gatineau Park, QC

This is either a female Beaverpond or Harpoon Clubtail; either one would be a lifer for me! I found it in a parking lot along Meech Lake Road on an OFNC outing and submitted photos to the Facebook Group "Northeast Odonata" but they were unable to confirm a definitive ID. One person thought that the dorsal thoracic stripes don't look thick enough for Beaverpond Clubtail (G. borealis) and that the lack of a yellow spot on S8 points to G. descriptus, Harpoon. Another person said that Harpoon should have pale on the femur of the hind leg and the hind leg looks black in the photo (the black legs should also eliminate Ashy and Dusky). Mature Harpoon usually has gray-green eyes, these look gray-blue which fits Beaverpond. As a result, I am just leaving this as an unknown Gomphus species and hope to find an identifiable individual some other time!

Sony DSC-H7
1/500s f/5.6 at 12.9mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Guest 01-Jun-2016 22:30
I was looking at your gallery as I just found a G. borealis and wanted to compare. The one thing I notice about your bug that says Harpoon to me is the noticeable hook at the bottom of the "7". CL told me this is a good mark to look for in Harpoon. Everything else fits too. Chris T.
larose forest photos22-Jun-2013 22:22
Very nice! I have seen only a few clubtails thus far. V
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