Clubbed Talontail, Crenigomphus hartmanni, Knoppiekloustert.

Male

Young Male

Female

Short description:

Clubbed Talontail, Crenigomphus hartmanni, Knoppiekloustert is fairly large, dull yellowish green and brown striped, with very distinct club with two small foliations on each side.

Family Gomphidae Rambur, 1842

More Images:

Habitat

Click on all Images to enlarge or view more

Key identification features:

Male

Face greenish yellow with faint brownish markings,with brown bar across front of frons. Head brownish black above with yellowish green undulated ridge running across top of head, back of head brownish black. Neck brownish with greenish hind margin.
Eyes greyish turquoise above, light grey below.
Thorax yellowish green with narrow indistinct brown stripes.
Wings lightly greenish smoky with distinctly yellow costa that mellows with age. Pterostigmas narrow,black, fairly long (4.0–4.5 mm), bordered in front by yellow vein.
Abdomen with complex pattern of yellow, yellowish green and brown,with a fine sharply-defined brown patch at each segment joint. Segment 7 mostly yellowish green with black dorsal patch in second half. Segments 8, 9 and especially segment 10 very swollen, yellowish, reddish brown and black, with small yellow and black edged foliations. Appendages are large, light brown, Superior appendages robust and curved curve downwards Inferior appendages robust and right-angled. Tips of appendages are black. This give this species a large clubbed abdomen with talon-like powerful appendages.

Females

Similar to male.
Eyes greyish turquoise above, light grey below (Diagnostic) Bright green when young
Thorax brown with two what bands edges with brown stripes wit a yellow band in between the white bands. Dorsal thorax dull brown triangular markings alongside the dorsal carina with white stripe next to the bright brown humeral stripes
Wings smokey more distinct towards the forward tip area. Wing costal vein bright yellow. Pterostigmas slightly longer than male (5 mm).
Abdomen noticeably more thickened than male. Segments 8 and 9 brownish but not swollen with small yellowish brown black-edged foliations

Habitat:

This species is found around lakes, pools, swift open savanna streams and rivers, with tall grass and thorn bush nearby.
Often faster sections with bare banks, rocks and a gravelly and/or sandy bottom
From 200 to 1900 m above sea level, but mostly below 1400, although possibly down to sea level.

Behaviour:

Hunts from rocks in or near streams or rivers. Also perches conspicuously on tops of tall grass and small bushes. Sometimes found away from the water.

Compared with other species:

Male

Looks similar to the Horned Talontail, (no image available) C. cornutus, but C. hartmanni has lighter abdomen and much larger foliations and club.
May be misidentified when using thorax pattern and abdomen markings with Ceratogomphus pictus (Common Thorntail) and Onychogomphus supinus (Lined Claspertail)

Females

Similar to he Common Hooktail Paragomphus genei, Corkscrew Hooktail (P. elpidius) , Rock Hooktail (P. cognatus) and Common Thorntail (Ceratogomphus pictus)
Differs from the above by distinct light brown club and fairly large foliages
Common Hooktail Paragomphus genei Corkscrew Hooktail (P. elpidius) , and more green coloured
Common Thorntail (Ceratogomphus pictus) differs with Segment 8-10 and foliages
Two stripes on C. hartmanni thorax are similar to female P. cognatus but differs at the stripe between the broad bands
Two stripes on C. hartmanni thorax are similar to female C. pictus but differs at the with narrow brown stripes between white stripes Center white stripe yellow and prominent