Gomphus vulgatissimus

Gomphus vulgatissimus is a Eurasian clubtail dragonfly that breeds primarily in slow-flowing rivers and larger streams with sandy or gravel substrates. Unlike many dragonfly species that inhabit still ponds or lakes, this species is specifically adapted to lotic, or flowing-water, environments.

Gomphus vulgatissimus was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, making it one of the earliest scientifically named dragonfly species. It appeared in the 10th edition of Linnaeus's Systema Naturae, the foundational work that established the binomial nomenclature system still used today.

Gomphus vulgatissimus males have a distinctive club-shaped abdomen that widens toward the rear, with black and yellow markings, and their eyes are notably separated—a key diagnostic feature of the family Gomphidae. This separated-eye characteristic distinguishes clubtails from most other dragonfly families, where the eyes typically meet at the top of the head.

Gomphus vulgatissimus is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List globally, but populations have declined in parts of Western Europe due to river engineering, water pollution, and habitat degradation. Several European countries list it as threatened or near-threatened at the national level because it depends on clean, undisturbed river habitats.