Spined Fairytail, Lestinogomphus angustus, Towerfee

100 2663 Nature Reserve MP RSA Febr 2019r 2

100 2666 Songimvelo Nature Reserve MP RSA Febr 2019r 2

Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Swadini LP RSA May 2021

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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.

Family Gomphidae Rambur, 1842

 More Images: 

100 2666 Male Songimvelo Nature Reserve MP RSA Febr 2019r 2Image
Gallery

100 2668 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 1Close-up
Male 

100 3333 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Weltevreden RSA Dec 2017r 3Close-up
Male

101 552 IMG 0608Close-Up
Female Young

100 3342 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 2Close-up
Female Mature

 

 

 

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Key identification features:

Male:

  • Face is light green with transverse brown line. 100 2672 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 10
  • Eyes are light turquoise green above with light green below. 100 2672 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 10 100 2669 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 2
  • Thorax is light green and spotted with fine, blackish stripes. 100 2669 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 2 100 2670 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 4 100 2671 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 8
  • Wings are narrow, almost damselfly-like, with dark brown pterostigma's. 100 2675 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 24 100 2676 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 28
  • 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 100 2673 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 12 with a
    short dorsal spine100 2673 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 12 midway on the inferior appendages 100 2675 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Male Close up Songimvelo MPRSAFebr 2019r 24

Female:

  • Face light green to cream 101 593 IMG 0655 becoming greenish yellow to cream. 100 3347 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 22 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  100 3346 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 21
  • Thorax with yellow Humeral strip. 100 3343 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 5Post humeral stripe brown. Dorsal stripe "D" shaped 100 3345 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 16 with the straight part of "D" towards the inside (dorsal carina side) Markings on thorax less intense than male.,
  • Abdomen Light green and brown  100 3349 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 25 becoming yellowish with brown with age.  Long segment 10.100 3350 Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Female Vaalwater LP RSA Mch 2021r 28
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.
Distribution:

Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Distribution Map May 2021

Lestinogomphus angustus Spined Fairytail Africa Distribution Map May 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

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
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