Duskhawkers 

Family Aeshnidae Leach, 1815

• Genus Gynacantha Rambur, 1842 True Hawkers

There is 1 genus with 3 species in the southern African region.

General appearance:

• Sombre-coloured and relatively easily identified by colour and markings only.
• The thin and very constricted waist.
• Females differ slightly from males (abdomen colour and pattern and thorax colour)

The following steps are recommended as an aid to identifying this family.

• Colour.
    Overall (sombre) colour.
    Abdomen patterns and in general the thin and very constricted waist.
• Thorax.
    Presence or absence of a black rim around the metastigma.
    Eyes and forehead markings.
• Appendages (Claspers)
    Between the Different species
    Between male and female within the species)
• Size.
• Wing venation:
    Long broad wings
    Number of Ax veins in the forewing
    Weather a single or double row of cells is present between the R2 and R3 veins
    Weather the anal triangle is 3- or 4-celled

Synopsis 

• Only males are shown To view Females please follow the link to the main page

A click on species name will link to the main species description article and image gallery.