Bold Leaftail, Phyllogomphus selysi, Lowerstert

Short Description:

Bold Leaftail, Phyllogomphus selysi, Lowerstert is very large sized, black and bright yellow striped, with a narrow abdomen and very large black foliages

Family Gomphidae Rambur, 1842

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Key identification features:

Male:

• Face light greenish yellow with fine spots and lines. Head black with some yellow between the eyes from above.  
• Eyes light turquoise with brownish hue.Neck mostly dark brown. 
• Thorax with equally wide black and bright yellow stripes. Between these yellow stripes is three dotted line    
• Wings clear becoming smoky with age, inner hind margin of the hindwing very pointed. Pterostigmas moderately long (4.0–4.5 mm), black. 
• Abdomen with bright yellow and black rings, S4-6 with pairs of yellow basal spots, very wide yellow ring on first two-thirds of segment 7.   Foliations on segment 8 huge, black, overlapping part of segment 9.  Superior appendages long and yellow becoming pointed and slightly upturned. Inferior appendages black with well defined hook at end Half the length of superior appendages, brown with hook at end. Cerci about 2x as long as epiproct.
• Hamules huge, black, triangular ending in sharp hooks. Posterior hamule slender, its posterior border almost straight

Female: 

• Similar to male
• Pterostigmas longer (4.5–5.0 mm), narrower and browner,
• Foliations on segment 8 huge but slightly smaller than in the male
• Abdomen stouter.

Habitat:

• Mostly rivers, but also large lakes and streams and possibly flowing channels in marshes, in open landscapes, open areas in forest or shaded by gallery forest. Often with a sandy and/or soft (like muddy) bottom.
• From 0 to 1400 m above sea level.

Behaviour:

• The adults are mostly in bush away from water. It flies high and fast among bushes and trees, settling occasionally, but remaining alert.

Compared to other species:

• Similar to Paragomphus sabicus, Flapper Hooktail,   Gomphidia quarrei, Southern Fingertail Ictinogomphus ferox Common Tigertail,   Onychogomphus supinus Lined Claspertail
• Differences in the claspers. O. quarrei has no foliations and short slender upper appendages with a very short lower appendage. O. supinus have inferior appendages that are very fine, upwardly curved with two fine prongs when viewed from side. I. Ferox has inferior (lower) appendages that curves upwards to tough the superior appendages and large foliations below S 8. P. magnus has very large superior appendages with the tips curving back to almost face S10 and no foliations. P. sabicus has superior appendages that are long, slender and gently curved, yellow with brown tips.
• Foliations on P. selysi distinct
• The abdominal stripes, dorsal thorax and the markings on the side of the thorax are diagnostic in the mentioned species

Identification guide

Click HERE for an identification guide for Clubtails based on images of the thorax

Images of southern African Clubtails

Distribution:

South Africa:

• Bold Leaftail, Phyllogomphus selysi is rare in South Africa, having only been recorded a few times in the northern region of KZN, MP and LP 

Africa:

• Angola; Botswana; Cameroon; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Kenya; Malawi; Namibia; Republic of South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; 

Further reading:

Websites:

•     The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species    Least Concern
•     African Dragonflies & Damselflies Online
•    A Visual Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of South Africa
•    Odonata Atlas of Africa Number 666070