Longlegs

Family Gomphidae Rambur, 1842

• Genus Notogomphus Selys, 1858

Africa

• Endemic to tropical Africa with about twenty known species

South Africa

• One species

General information:

• The common name for this genus is Longlegs
• Easily identified by their long and spiny hind femora (femur).
• .Most of the twenty species occur in or near highland areas.
• They breed in streams and small rivers, the pale species in more open landscapes, and the darker ones more in forest.
• Adults are fairly sluggish and quite often found perching flatly on rocks and leaves along water courses, or on vegetation distant from water.
• The species are fairly small to fairly large (hindwing 25-38) and vary widely in markings and appendages.
• Also within species the extent of dark markings can vary strongly.
• Although identification may therefore appear complicated, it should be fairly straightforward with the use of illustrations.

Identification guide

• Click HERE for a list of southern African Clubtails by image
• Click HERE for an identification guide for Clubtails based on images of the thorax

Synopsis 

• Only males are shown To view females follow the links to the species main page
• Click on all images to enlarge.

Distribution

Credit to Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra for the descriptions (Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014)