Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus)

• English name: Small Pincertail
• German name: Kleine Zangenlibelle
• French name: Gomphe à forceps
• Dutch name: Kleine tanglibel
• Swedish name: Stenflodtrollslända
• Norwegian name: Tang-elveøyenstikker
• Finnish name: Pihtijokikorento
• Danish name: Lille tangguldsmed
• Italian name: Gonfo forcipato
• Czech name: klínatka vidlitá
• Slovenian name: Bledi peščenec
• Bulgarian name: Щипесто цигулче

Small Pincertail
(Onychogomphus forcipatus)

Not present

Present before 1990

Present after 1990

Present before and after 1990

Present after 2015

Distribution map Onychogomphus forcipatus

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies

General		• a medium-sized black-and-yellow species which is fairly common throughout Europe except the British Isles and the far north
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Gomphidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern (but ssp. albotibialis: Near Threatened)
Scientific name		• Onychogomphus forcipatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Name genus		• Onychogomphus: from Grk. ὄνυξ (stem: ὀνυχ) = nail, claw, hook +; connecting vowel -ο-+; γόμφος = bolt, rivet, peg ⇒ for the shape of the male's lower appendage
Name species		• forcipatus: from Lat. forcipatus, -a, -um = armed with pincers; [forceps = pincers] ⇒ for the shape of the male's appendages
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• rocky streams and rivers, but sometimes also at lakes
Dimensions		• typical body length: 46-50 mm; hindwing: 25-30 mm
Notes		• gomphids are 'sitters': they spend a lot of time perched on rocks and vegetation
Both sexes	Head	➤ like in all other gomphids, the eyes are widely separated
		• the eyes are typically grey-green
		➤ there is a yellow bar on the black vortex
	Thorax	➤ the black lines on the side of the thorax are thin and wavy, leaving a wide antehumeral stripe, and they usually meet the mid-dorsal black stripe
Male	Abdomen	➤ there is a subterminal knob on the lower appendage
Photographs		• many of our photos below were made in Italy and Spain and show the subspecies O. f. unguiculatus
		• those photos made in Turkey show the subspecies O. f. albotibialis

LineDrawing: the female's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.

Onychogomphus forcipatus (left) and O. uncatus (right)
In O. forcipatus note the yellow bar on the vortex and the two black shoulder stripes which are both connected to the mid-dorsal black stripe.

Onychogomphus forcipatus (left) and O. uncatus (right), thorax
In O. uncatus the two black shoulder stripes are typically broad and parallel, while in O. forcipatus these stripes are thinner and wavier, and are both connected to the mid-dorsal black stripe.

Onychogomphus forcipatus (left) and O. uncatus (right); appendages, male
Note: the lower appendage bears a subterminal knob in O. forcipatus but not in O. uncatus.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus)
Female head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus)

Small Pincertail(Onychogomphus forcipatus)

Small Pincertail
(Onychogomphus forcipatus)