SB06 - Gomphidae

Lets be brutally frank - pictures are not a strong point of this website. The title picture here will certainly not win any competitions but it does show my newly found exuviae of Gomphus pulchellus which is the first record for Teruel Province. A good tip for identifying this species is that the end of the abdomen is very tapered as a result of the enlarged segment 9. The only other species like it is Gomphus flavipes but the two don't occur together.

Most gomphids (Clubtails) are creatures of streams and rivers but G. pulchellus often breeds in ponds; but this pond was a bit special.

Back in November 2015 I drove back to Madrid via the Laguna de Gallocanta. I have been here many times; I even wrote a car off here in my enthusiasm after seeing Great Bustards. Anyway during the winter months the area is home to many thousands of Common Cranes which inhabit the lake but also spill out into other local ponds. The picture here shows the Balsa de Carabejas near Torralba in Teruel.

In May-2016 I revisited this fine open pond, the Cranes had all gone but I found the exuvia of G. pulchellus.