For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Farm - Part 4

I have to smile when I see any beetle laying on its back, trying to get on its feet. They look so ungainly. LOL!! Some of them do it to play dead and hope I am not a predator wanting to eat them. Thank goodness I was not hungry that morning. :)
This is the top and bottom of a Large Armoured Darkling Beetle (Anomalipus elephas), family Tenebrionidae. They are much flatter than most beetles and the females lay a single egg in a shallow hole. The feed on plant litter.
No, dont fall on your back at the sight of a dog on my blog!! LOL!! There is a first time for everything!! The people who's farm I was visiting had just got this little puppy. Dont ask me what species it is. It's name had something to do with goats? As if that makes sense? LOL!!
If you want to attract insects to your garden, be sure to plant yellow flowers as I have yet to see any which dont have insects on them. This bees legs were full of pollen and I managed to capture it hovering for a change. I almost never get good shots of this as you know. :)
Thes flowers are small and this baby fly even smaller but he sure liked these flowers too.

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