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Sticker of Eastern ringtail
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Eastern ringtail

Erpetogomphus designatus

The eastern ringtail is a dragonfly from North and Central America. It is a clubtail, a kind of dragonfly whose tail is a little wider at the end. Like all dragonflies, it is a fast flier that catches insects in the air.

Lives in
North and Central America
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies have no sting.
What does it eat?
It catches other flying insects. Its babies live under water and hunt small water animals.
For real!Photo of Eastern ringtail
Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Clubtails got their name because the end of their tail is a little wider, like a club.

2

Scientists say it is of least concern, which means it is not in danger of dying out.

3

The number of eastern ringtails stays steady. Scientists last checked this in 2017.

you asked

Most asked questions about Eastern ringtail

?Is the eastern ringtail dangerous?

No. Dragonflies have no sting and do not hurt people.

?Where does the eastern ringtail live?

In North America and Central America.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Erpetogomphus designatus
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Gomphidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Gomphidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Erpetogomphus designatus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Dragonflies and damselflies

Also at home here: Ponds, rivers and shores

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