Rock Hooktail

Paragomphus cognatus · Order: Odonata · Family: Gomphidae

Also called: Boulder Hooktail, Riffle Hooktail

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Rock Hooktail
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY-SA 3.0

Males have thick, truncate cerci that spread apart, and a distinctive thorax pattern helps tell them apart. They live along rocky streams and rivers, perching on mid-stream rocks in many African habitats from fynbos to forest.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Male Rock Hooktails are identified by thick, truncate cerci that diverge at the ends and by the pattern of markings on their thorax.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They are found in streams and rivers across a variety of vegetation types, often on rocky sections and river-pools.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Rock Hooktail photo 2
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY-SA
Rock Hooktail photo 3
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY-SA
Rock Hooktail photo 4
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY-SA
Rock Hooktail photo 5
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY-SA

Same family (Gomphidae)

Small PincertailSmall PincertailOnychogomphus forcipatusDragonhunterDragonhunterHagenius brevistylusBlack-shouldered SpinylegBlack-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosusCommon ClubtailCommon ClubtailGomphus vulgatissimusLarge PincertailLarge PincertailOnychogomphus uncatusEastern RingtailEastern RingtailErpetogomphus designatus

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragomphus_cognatus

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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