Guide to Pintails

A guide to differences between Pintails, Genus Acisoma visible in South Africa

Genus Acisoma Rambur, 1842
General information:
  • Two species in Africa
  • Prefer sunny and especially grassy marshes
Identification aid
  • Very small to small,
  • Thorax mosaic-like mottled 
  • Bluish grey and white (Males), greenish yellow, light blue and black (Females)
  • Bulbous (almost spindle-shaped) abdomen that tapers sharply at mid length, becoming black and ending in cream to white appendages
  • Abdomen segments 4 - 7 has diagnostic markings (similar on males and females)
 Close inspection identification aid

Male

Female

Male

Female

Stout Pintail, Acisoma inflatum
 
Slender Pintail, Acisoma variegatum
 

 

100 2479 Acisoma inflatum Stout Pintail Male Hertzogberg MP Nov 2017f 1011

100 2478 Acisoma inflatum Stout Pintail Hertzogberg MP Nov 2017f 511

100 2476 Acisoma variegatum Slender pintail Male Close up Skukuza Sept 2018f 1111

100 2477 Acisoma variegatum Slender pintail Female Close up Skukuza MP RSA Febr 2018f 1411

 Visual Guide

100 1851 Acisoma inflatum Stout Pintail Male Tzaneen LP RSA Mch 2016r 2

100 1845 Acisoma inflatum Stout Pintail Female Tzaneen LP RSA Nov 2015r 2

100 2463 Acisoma variegatum Slender pintail Male Skukuza MP RSA Sept 2018r 2

100 2467 Acisoma variegatum Slender pintail Female Skukuza MP RSA Sept 2018r 8