Onychogomphus costae
• English name: Faded Pincertail
• German name: Braune Zangenlibelle
• French name: Gomphe de Coste
• Dutch name: Moorse tanglibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Onychogomphus costae
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
General | ➤ a fairly small, pale-coloured species which in Europe occurs only in Iberia | |
Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Gomphidae | |
Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Endangered | |
Scientific name | • Onychogomphus costae Selys, 1885 | |
Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
Habitat | • streams and rivers with a sandy or gravelly bottom | |
Dimensions | • typical body length: 43-46 mm; hindwing: 22-27 mm | |
Notes | • gomphids are 'sitters': they spend a lot of time perched on rocks and vegetation | |
• an inconspicuous and well-camouflaged species in an arid environment | ||
➤ unmistakable (once spotted): the only species with a pincertail and a colouration of off-whites, sandy yellows, beige and brown | ||
Both sexes | Head | ➤ like in all other gomphids, the eyes are widely separated |
Male | Abdomen | • the upper appendages are much longer than the deeply incised lower appendage, while S7 bears a tuft of white hairs underneath |
Photographs | • our photos below were made in Valencia, Aragon and Andalusia |
LineDrawing: the male's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.