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Five-striped Leaftail
Phyllogomphoides albrighti
The field identification of the Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) and the Four-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides stigmatus) can be a little confusing since the two species are very similar appearing. Here are two photos showing the thorax pattern of the Five-striped Leaftail (1st shot) and the Four-striped Leaftail (next shot). On the Five-striped Leaftail note the pattern of the stripes on the thorax forming two distinct "U" shapes caused by the posterior two pairs of stripes being connected at the bottom. On the Four-striped Leaftail the posterior stripe terminates on the lower thorax and does not form the "U". Both these photos are from Austin, Travis Co., Texas in summer 2003. The Four-striped Leaftail is far more common here than the Five-striped. I'd guess the ratio I see is about 10 to 20 Four-stripes for every one Five-stripe in a typical year. Another aide in field identification is that the Four-striped is a little larger than the Five-striped but this can be difficult to determine in the field.
Four-striped Leaftail