''Onychogomphus uncatus'', the large pincertail or blue-eyed hook-tailed dragonfly, is a species of dragonflies belonging to the family Gomphidae.

Distribution

This species is present in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

.Fauna europaea
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Habitat

These dragonflies can be encountered close to running water and lakes.

Description

The adults of ''Onychogomphus uncatus'' grow up to long. The eyes are widely separated and bright-blue or gray-blue, never green. The front black line on the side of the thorax does not touch the midline. The yellow collar at the front of the thorax is interrupted by a black bar. It has four cells on the anal triangle of the rear wing, but no yellow line on the 'vertex'. Cercoids are always yellow. This dragonfly is bigger and rarer than the small pincertail ('' Onychogomphus forcipatus''), but they are rather similar. The two species can be distinguished on the basis of the shape and extension of the black markings, especially on the thorax and on the last abdominal segments.

Biology

Adults of these dragonflies can be found from mid April through late August. Their life cycle lasts about three years.

Gallery

File:Onychogomphus uncatus nimfa.jpg, Nymph File:Onychogomphus uncatus detall1.jpg, Close-up on thorax File:Onychogomphus uncatus detall2.jpg, Details of thorax and eyes File:Onychogomphus uncatus exuvia.jpg,

Exuvia In biology, exuviae are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after ecdysozoans (including insects, crustaceans and arachnids) have moulted. The exuviae of an animal can be important to biologists as they can often b ...

References

* Schutte, C., P. Schridde & F. Suhling. 1998. Life history patterns of Onychogomphus uncatus (Charpentier) (Anisoptera: Gomphidae). Odonatologica, 27:71-86. * Suhling, F. 1995. Temporal patterns of emergence of the riverine dragonfly Onychogomphus uncatus (Odonata: Gomphidae). Hydrobiologia, 302:113-118 * Manuel Ferreras-Romero; Philip S. Corbet - Seasonal patterns of emergence in Odonata of a permanent stream in Southwestern Europe Aquatic Insects: International Journal of Freshwater Entomology Volume 17, Issue 2, 1995, Pages 123 - 127 {{Taxonbar, from=Q2626923 Gomphidae Insects described in 1840 Dragonflies of Europe Taxa named by Toussaint de Charpentier