Gomphidae is a family of dragonflies commonly known as clubtails or club-tailed dragonflies. The family is placed in the superfamily Gomphoidea, together with Petaluridae.
The family comprises about 100 genera and about 1,000 species distributed across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.
The common name clubtail refers to the club-like widening near the end of the abdomen, a feature that is more pronounced in males and absent in some species.
Description and biology Gomphids are medium-sized to large dragonflies characterised by their widely separated eyes, robust bodies and, in many species, the swollen tip of the abdomen that gives the family its common name. The club is most developed in males and is absent or only weakly developed in some species. Adults are typically yellow, green or black, often with contrasting dark markings, and many species perch horizontally on rocks, logs or streamside vegetation.
Most gomphids inhabit streams and rivers, although some species occur around ponds and lakes. Adults usually remain close to their breeding sites, making short, rapid flights between perches, while newly emerged adults often disperse to nearby woodland before returning to water to breed. In temperate regions emergence is typically concentrated in spring or early summer, whereas tropical species often emerge soon after the onset of the rainy season.
The larvae are aquatic predators that live in sand, gravel or mud on the beds of streams, rivers and other freshwater habitats. Most species burrow into the substrate with only the eyes and upper body exposed while waiting to ambush prey. Depending on the species, larval development usually takes one to three years, although in some large species it may extend to five years or more.
Because their larvae require clean, well-oxygenated freshwater and are sensitive to habitat disturbance, many gomphids are regarded as indicators of river health. Loss of riparian vegetation, sedimentation and water pollution have contributed to declines in a number of species.
Taxonomy Gomphidae was established by Rambur in 1842.
The family currently comprises about 100 genera and about 1,000 described species, making it one of the largest families of dragonflies.
In the classification of extant Odonata proposed by Carter and colleagues (2026), Gomphidae is one of the two families placed in the superfamily Gomphoidea, together with Petaluridae.
Genera The following genera are currently placed in Gomphidae:
Acrogomphus Laidlaw, 1925 Agriogomphus Selys, 1869 Amphigomphus Chao, 1954 Anisogomphus Selys, 1858 Anormogomphus Selys, 1854 Antipodogomphus Fraser, 1951 Aphylla Selys, 1854 Archaeogomphus Williamson, 1919 Arigomphus Needham, 1897 Armagomphus Carle, 1986 Asahinagomphus Karube, 2021 Asiagomphus Asahina, 1985 Austroepigomphus Fraser, 1953 Austrogomphus Selys, 1854 Borneogomphus Karube & Sasamoto, 2014 Brasiliogomphus Belle, 1995 Burmagomphus Williamson, 1907 Cacoides Cowley, 1934 Ceratogomphus Selys, 1854 Cornigomphus Martin, 1907 Crenigomphus Selys, 1892 Cyanogomphus Selys, 1873 Cyclogomphus Selys, 1854 Davidioides Fraser, 1924 Davidius Selys, 1878 Desmogomphus Williamson, 1920 Diaphlebia Selys, 1854 Diastatomma Charpentier in Burmeister, 1839 Dromogomphus Selys, 1854 Dubitogomphus Fraser, 1940 Ebegomphus Needham, 1944 Eogomphus Needham, 1941 Epigomphus Hagen in Selys, 1854 Erpetogomphus Selys, 1858 Euthygomphus Kosterin, 2016 Fukienogomphus Chao, 1954 Gastrogomphus Needham, 1941 Gomphidia Selys, 1854 Gomphidictinus Fraser, 1942 Gomphoides Selys, 1854 Gomphurus Needham, 1901 Gomphus Leach, 1815 Hagenius Selys, 1854 Heliogomphus Laidlaw, 1922 Hemigomphus Selys, 1854 Hylogomphus Needham, Westfall & May, 2000 Ictinogomphus Cowley, 1934 Idiogomphoides Belle, 1984 Isomma Selys, 1892 Labrogomphus Needham, 1931 Lamelligomphus Fraser, 1922 Lanthus Needham, 1897 Leptogomphus Selys, 1878 Lestinogomphus Martin, 1911 Libyogomphus Fraser, 1926 Lindenia de Haan, 1826 Macrogomphus Selys, 1858 Mastigogomphus Cammaerts, 2004 Mattigomphus Karube & Kosterin, 2018 Megalogomphus Campion, 1923 Melanocacus Belle, 1986 Melligomphus Chao, 1990 Merogomphus Martin, 1904 Microgomphus Selys, 1858 Neogomphus Selys, 1858 Nepogomphoides Fraser, 1952 Nepogomphus Fraser, 1934 Neurogomphus Karsch, 1890 Nihonogomphus Oguma, 1926 Notogomphus Selys, 1858 Nychogomphus Carle, 1986 Octogomphus Selys, 1873 Odontogomphus Watson, 1991 Onychogomphus Selys, 1854 Ophiogomphus Selys, 1854 Orientogomphus Chao & Xu, 1987 Paragomphus Cowley, 1934 Perigomphus Belle, 1972 Perissogomphus Laidlaw, 1922 Peruviogomphus Klots, 1944 Phaenandrogomphus Lieftinck, 1964 Phanogomphus Carle, 1986 Phyllocycla Calvert, 1948 Phyllogomphoides Belle, 1970 Phyllogomphus Selys, 1854 Platygomphus Selys, 1854 Praeviogomphus Belle, 1995 Progomphus Selys, 1854 Scalmogomphus Chao, 1990 Shaogomphus Chao, 1984 Sieboldius Selys, 1854 Sinictinogomphus Fraser, 1939 Sinogomphus May, 1935 Stenogomphurus Carle, 1986 Stylogomphus Fraser, 1922 Stylurus Needham, 1897 Tibiagomphus Belle, 1992 Tragogomphus Sjöstedt, 1899 Trigomphus Bartenev, 1912 Zephyrogomphus Watson, 1991 Zonophora Selys, 1854
Phylogeny Molecular phylogenetic studies consistently recover Gomphidae and Petaluridae as sister families comprising the superfamily Gomphoidea.
Fossil record The oldest confirmed fossils assigned to Gomphidae are from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian). The family has an extensive fossil record extending from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary, with fossils recorded from Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia and Africa.
Fossil genera Several extinct genera have been assigned to Gomphidae, including: †Auroradraco Archibald & Cannings, 2019 Kamloops Group, Canada, Ypresian †Burmalindenia Schädel & Bechly, 2016 Burmese amber, Cenomanian †Cratohagenius Bechly, 2010 Crato Formation, Brazil, Aptian †Cratolindenia Bechly, 2000 Crato Formation, Brazil, Aptian †Gunterbechlya Huang et al., 2019 Burmese amber, Cenomanian ?†Nannogomphus Handlirsch, 1906 (potentially related to early dragonfly lineages)
Etymology The family name Gomphidae is derived from the type genus Gomphus, with the standard zoological suffix -idae used for families.
The genus name Gomphus is derived from the Greek γόμφος (gomphos, "bolt" or "nail"), referring to the shape of the abdomen, likened to a bolt used in shipbuilding.
Gallery
References "New Hampshire PBS web article"
Kohli, M., Letsch, H., Greve, C., Béthoux, O., Deregnaucourt, I., Liu, S., Zhou, X., Donath, A., Mayer, C., Podsiadlowski, L., Gunkel, S., Machida, R., Niehuis, O., Rust, J., Wappler, T., Yu, X., Misof, B., & Ware, J. (2021). Evolutionary history and divergence times of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) revealed through transcriptomics. IScience, 24(11), 103324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103324