Small Pincertail

Onychogomphus forcipatus

Nymphs spend three to five years buried beneath sand and fine gravel on riverbeds, with only their eyes and the tip of their abdomen exposed.

Scientific name: Onychogomphus forcipatus
Taxonomy: Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Gomphidae › Onychogomphus
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: stable
Biome: aquatic
Habitat: Clean, sunlit streams and rivers with gravelly, sandy, or stony banks and beds, as well as nearby open riparian woodland edges.
Diet: Carnivorous; adults catch flying insects such as midges, flies, mayflies, and small moths on the wing, while aquatic nymphs ambush small invertebrates.
Range: Southern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, Middle East
Size: 45–53 mm long, with a wingspan of 55–65 mm
Lifespan: 3–5 yr
Active: diurnal
Threats: Channelization of streams, removal of riverbed gravel, water pollution from agricultural runoff, and destruction of riparian vegetation.
Safe to approach?: Harmless to humans. Small pincertails cannot sting and will only attempt a weak, non-venomous pinch with their mouthparts if handled roughly. Observe quietly from a distance of one to two meters as they perch on sunlit river stones. If one lands on you, simply let it rest or gently wave your hand to encourage it to fly away.

Onychogomphus forcipatus , the small pincertail or green-eyed hook-tailed dragonfly , is a species of dragonflies belonging to the family Gomphidae.

Photo: Jörg Hempel, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist