Showing posts with label Biodiversity Research and Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biodiversity Research and Education. Show all posts

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Trident Dung Beetle (Heliocopis neptunus)

Family Scarabaeidae
Large bodied, about 37mm.
 Males have a fork-like 3-pronged extension to proton and a backward-curved horn on its head.
 Adults burrow below or beside fresh dung.
They are active at night and attracted to lights.

 Males and females jointly pack dung for breeding in hemispherical layers in expanded sections of tunnel forming spherical brood masses that resemble brood balls, each with an egg.
 Found in most areas except the Freestate and Cape.
Info: Field Guide to Insects of South Africa

Monday, February 25, 2013

Longhorn Beetle (Evgenlus plumatus)

Family Cerambycidae
A medium size and very colourful beetle.

No information is available on it either but I post these pictures for identification purposes.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Yellow Biscuit Kite Spider (Isoxya tabulate)

Family Araneidae Gasteracanthinae
 These are small spiders of about 4mm and have eight eyes in two rows.
 They build an orb web and are active during the day.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Emperor Moth (Heniocha dyops)

Family Saturniidae
 This is a large moth with a wingspan of about 10cm.
 For such a pretty moth, it is a pity that there is no further information available on it.