Four-striped Leaftail
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Phyllogomphoides stigmatus
Say, 1839
Order Odonata
Suborder Anisoptera
Superfamily Gomphioidea
Family Gomphidae
Genus Phyllogomphoides
Species stigmatus (Say, 1839) [Aeschna]
Identification
The face and thorax are pale yellowish-green. The thorax is like Five-striped Leaftail (P. albrighti
) except the lateral thoracic stripes are narrower. The third lateral stripe ends ventrally and is never confluent with the midlateral stripe. The wings and abdomen similar to Five-striped Leaftail except in females, which have a nearly cylindrical abdomen, with only a weak expansion of the posterior segments laterally.
Size
Total length: 65-70 mm; abdomen: 49-56 mm; hindwing: 39-44 mm.
Similar Species
This species can be distinguished from Five-striped Leaftail by characters given above and under that species description.
Habitat
Ponds and slow reaches of streams with muddy bottom and heavy vegetation.
Discussion
The Four-striped Leaftail is more widely distributed than the Five-striped Leaftail and is commonly found at livestock and artificial ponds, where males will perch high on grasses, facing the water. They are flighty, never staying perched for long, but often returning to their original perch after short feeding forays. Adults mature in open pastures of tall grass some distance from water.
Distribution
Southwestern U.S. and northeastern Mexico.
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