Spined Fairytail, Lestinogomphus angustus, Towerfee
Male 
Male 
Female Short description:
Spined Fairytail, Lestinogomphus angustus, Towerfee medium sized, with a very slender yellowish green to green, and blackish ringed abdomen, bulging at the end and without foliations. The wings are narrow, almost damselfly-like. The thorax is light green and with blackish stripes
Note: The scientific name is derived from the Damselfly, (Zygoptera) family, Lestidae due to the shape of the wings recalling that of a damselfly.
More Images:
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Key identification features:
Male:
- Face is light green with transverse brown line.
- Eyes are light turquoise green above with light green below.
- Thorax is light green and spotted with fine, blackish stripes.
- Wings are narrow, almost damselfly-like, with dark brown pterostigma's.
- Abdomen is long and narrow with yellowish green to green and black rings. Insignificant club with slightly enlarged S 7-10 and
no foliations S 10 is as long as S 8-9 together. S 9-10 is reddish brown to black. Appendages very short and complex
with a
short dorsal spine
midway on the inferior appendages
Female:
- Face light green to cream
becoming greenish yellow to cream. 
Vertex greenish brown becoming yellowish brown with age .Frons light green becoming yellowish green. Postclypeus light green with two short brown bands becoming yellowish with brown bands. anteclypeus cream with light brown upper edge - Eyesight green above light greenish grey below
- Thorax with yellow Humeral strip.
Post humeral stripe brown. Dorsal stripe "D" shaped 
with the straight part of "D" towards the inside (dorsal carina side) Markings on thorax less intense than male., - Abdomen Light green and brown
becoming yellowish with brown with age. Long segment 10.
Habitat:
- Prefers dense bush or forest adjacent to rivers in warm coastal KZNP, LP savanna, and MP and LP lowveld.
Behaviour:
- Mostly perches under bushes or trees, resting horizontally along grass or stems. Sometimes uses S10 as a monopod to rest the long abdomen on.
Compared with other species:
- This small Gomphid is unmistakable in SA. Besides its slender build, narrow wings, general greenish appearance, it has an unmistakable long abdominal S10 with yet very short appendage.
- The vernacular name describes the inferior appendages which have a dorsal spine midway.
Identification guide
Click HERE for an identification guide for Clubtails based on images of the thorax
Images of southern African Clubtails
Yellowjack
Great Hooktail
Distribution:
Distribution Map South Africa
Physical Map South Africa
Political Map South Africa
Distribution Map Africa
Physical Map Africa
Political Map Africa
South Africa:
- Uncommon in the northeast and eastern lowveld areas of South Africa but more records are becoming available. Some records from the northern areas that may be seen as a range extension or as insufficient records to form a clear idea if the actual range in South Africa.
Africa:
- Botswana; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Republic of South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; NOT confirmed: Angola; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mali; Somalia; Swaziland
Further reading:
Websites
A Visual Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of South Africa
African Dragonflies & Damselflies Online
Odonata Atlas of Africa Number 664880
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Least Concern