Leeufontein Part 1

One weekend I was asked to join a friend of mine in a private game reserve to go bug hunting and naturally I do not need to be asked twice.

The place is called Leeufontein which translates to Lions Fountain but it has been many, many years since a lion was actually seen there. We arrived just after sun up and found that there were miles of paths we could walk through.

On of the first things I found was this…..can you make out what it is?
Yes, a Stick Grasshopper disguising itself as a piece of grass. :)

This Scarab beetle was amazing…..

I have never seen one so shiny that I could see myself reflected in it.

One tree was covered with these caterpillars. There must have been a few hundred of them.

With so much rain, dams of water are everywhere and it does not take long before waterlilies start popping out.

Art of disguise - Part 2

Can you see him? :)

Okay, maybe this version is better? It is a Common Stick Grasshopper (Acrida acuminata) and if it does not move, you would swear it is part of the grass.

In this one you can see the two brown ovals which are his eyes..... They are large, about 3 inches in length. Their breeding cycle in which sexually immature adults survive the dry season and lay eggs in respons to the first rains. Eggs hatch simultaneously and nymphal development is completed during the rainy season. The adults are present for a few summer months only.

Females lay eggs in sandy areas, producing a very long egg pod.

Why the long face?

This is a Common Stick Grasshopper (Acrida acuminata) which has an unusually long face.
They are very large, almost 3 inches and found throughout SA.

The female lays long egg pods which have a hard outer shell in sandy places and they feed on various grasses.