Corkscrew Hooktail, Paragomphus elpidius, Slingerhakiestert

Corkscrew Hooktail, Paragomphus elpidius, Slingerhakiestert is medium sized, greenish, yellowish and brown, with a reddish brown to dark brown club.

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Male:

Eyes are pale greyish blue. Labrum is pale yellow, at most vaguely darkened at base with indistinct brownish basal band.
Thorax is yellow to green with more prominent brown to black markings that on the metastigma ends just dorsal of it, The brown stripe forms a narrow "V" Dorsal thorax marking bright and well defined.
Pterostigmas are brown, not contrasting with black veins
Abdomen is black with yellow partial rings. S8-9 has broad foliations. S 9 = 10 in length. Segment 10 with cream coloured triangle, segment 8 with thin cream coloured line (becoming more clear with age). Upper claspers (cerci) slender, apex is blunt with black tip, without or with one tooth. Without distinct ventral ridge; Lower clasper (epiproct) about 1/3 (or less) as long as upper clasper (cerci).

Female:

Female similar, slightly smoky wings, thicker abdomen, very narrow foliations (almost invisible) , markings are less distinctive.
Pterostigmas black without a clear central zone.
S2 has a "sickle" shaped marking pointing towards the thorax . Diagnostic Distinct Triangular shaped markings on S 9 -10. Leave like yellow/brown markings on lower part of lateral s 9-10

Found mostly at rivers, but also streams, shaded by gallery forest, but sometimes in open landscapes. Often with rocks and streams with a sandy gravel open areas, near faster sections. Females oviposit in shallow sandy patches between rocks
From 0 to 1400 m above sea level, but mostly between 200 and 1100.

Alert as it perches conspicuously on a stick on reed at a pool or river margin, often darting out to defend its territory.
Frequently seen on hot days with its abdomen in the upright obelisk position and its wings forward