Leaftails

Family Gomphidae      Rambur, 1842

• Genus Phyllogomphus     Selys, 1854

Africa

• Endemic to tropical Africa   
  • Five species with three pale stripes on each side of the thorax occur from eastern Africa to Cameroon
  • However, the species occurring further west, all with five stripes on each side, are taxonomically unresolved. Several species have rarely been recorded since their description, and some not at all
  • One species are confined to difficult to reach habitat making it difficult to record
• One species visible in South Africa namely Bold Leaftail (P selysi)

General description:

• Males are large (hindwing 35-47 mm)
• Robust and perch conspicuously with abdomen raised, showing the large foliations on abdominal segment 8, thus recalling Ictinogomphus.
• Abdomen tip is distinctly rufous or yellow
• Abdominal segment 10 is enlarged and bent down
• In Ictinogomphus (Tigertails) (Tigertails) all segments are aligned and similarly black-and-yellow.

Habitat and behaviour

• Rivers and large streams in forest are the main habitat, at least P. selysi  (Bold Leaftail)  (Bold Leaftail) also occurs in drier landscapes and at large lakes.

Identification guide

• Click HERE for a list of southern African Clubtails by image
• Click HERE for an identification guide for Clubtails based on images of the thorax

Synopsis

• Only images of males are shown
• To view images of female follow the menu links to the main description pages
• Click on all images to enlarge. 
• Images of species that are available are shown

A selection of images