| The family Gomphidae is represented in Costa Rica by 10 genera and about 33 species. Four genera and 11 species have been recorded from the Monteverde region. Clubtails vary from very small (e.g., Progomphus pygmaeus) to large (Phyllogomphoides) in size. Most are dark colored with pale lines and spots that start out cream to yellow in young adults and often change to blue or green with age. Thoracic color patterns and male appendages are the characters most used for identifying species. Most species breed in running water, ranging from tiny spring seeps to large rivers, but a few (e.g., Aphylla) are associated with ponds or swamps. Although the adults are generally slower fliers than the libellulids they resemble, they can be quick to escape capture. Most species hunt from perches. The males of some species patrol stream margins looking for females, while others defend particular pools in streams or spring seeps. Immature adults often spend time far from breeding sites feeding in light gaps in forest or along forest edges. |
