086. Dark Pincertail  – Onychogomphus assimilis – European Dragonfly photo

The Dark Pincertail  ( Onychogomphus assimilis ) can only be found in Europe along the Turkish coast where it is confined to very fast flowing mountain streams. It is another large species, somewhat more so than the Small Pincertail – Onychogomphus forcipatus. It often rests on branches above the rushing water rather than on  stones like its congeners. In the photograph below it was conveniently coming to land on the small bridge across the river to the restaurant sitting area. ( I can recommend the freshly caught trout there although eating was interrupted by the arrival of this rather skittish dragonfly)

KEY I/D FEATURES

Apart from finding this species in such a specific habitat the best identification features are the completely black vertex and the thorax which, when seen from the top, has two black antehumeral stripes with a small bar between them. These end to form a broad ‘L’ shape and its mirror image in yellow (see third photo of species)