Alberta naturalists are on the hunt this month for a rare dragonfly known as the elusive clubtail.
Edmonton biologist Alexander Lapierre put out a province-wide call on the NatureLynx and iNaturalist websites Aug. 6 for volunteers to find the elusive clubtail dragonfly in Alberta.
Officially known as Stylurus notatus, the elusive clubtail is a dragonfly known to frequent eastern Canada and is considered a critically imperiled species in Alberta.
This dragonfly is notoriously difficult to spot, said Lapierre, who is an aquatic invertebrate technician with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute — the only confirmed sighting of one in Alberta happened in Fort McMurray back in 2012.
Lapierre said he was searching the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in downtown Edmonton on July 9 when he spotted two unusual larval shells, which dragonflies shed when they turn into adults. Studying them under a microscope, he confirmed the inch-long shells had been shed by elusive clubtails.
Lapierre said he was very excited by this discovery.
“It’s been years since we last had one seen anywhere in Alberta,” he said of the elusive clubtail, and they’re very rare in Saskatchewan.
University of Alberta renewable resources Prof. John Acorn said Lapierre’s discovery was fascinating news, adding that he had never seen this insect in his 40 years as a naturalist.
The elusive clubtail is a medium-sized dragonfly with a black and yellow or black and pale blue body, blue eyes, and a tail/abdomen with a broad, club-or-spoon-shaped end, Acorn said. You might confuse it with the pale snaketail dragonfly, which frequents Edmonton and has a black, yellow, and green body.
Acorn said the elusive clubtail was likely so elusive because it hung out in treetops and far out over flowing water, making it tough to spot. He was now staking out local rivers and lakes, and suspected it was only a matter of time before the insect was found.
Lapierre said more confirmed sightings of this insect could help researchers determine its range and rarity, which could affect land-use decisions. Dragonflies in general were also indicators of river health.
Lapierre encouraged kayakers to keep their eyes peeled, as they may have the best chance to encounter these insects. Anyone who spots one should take pictures from many angles for identification.
“It’s so hard to find, so it will be big bragging rights for whoever sees one.”
Email [email protected] for details on the dragonfly hunt.
