Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla) Chrysopidae

This Green Lacewing flew in and landed near the ceil so of course I had to grab a chair to stand on and my camera in order to take a picture.
Now this may sound rude to some of you and if you are offended, please forgive me, but I thought it an interestng fact about them: The anus of the larvae is sealed so that waste products of their liquid diet can be stored until excreted as a white pellet after emergence.

They are mostly predacious but a few of the species are nectar and pollen feeders.

Serval (Leptailarus serval)

The serval has extraordinarily long legs for its body size which can be up to 3 feet in length, whilst standing up to 20 inches in shoulder height.
The bulk of its diet constitutes rodents, especially vlei rats. Birds, frogs, insects, small reptiles and even fish are taken to compliment the diet.

Kittens, in litters of three to four, are born in thick grass cover or underbrush. The gestation period is 68-72 days. Births often occur at the end of summer.

Elusive and shy, servals are for the most part nocturnal, hunting by sight and sound more than scent. This makes them extremely difficult to photograph. All these pictures were taken at the zoo except for the one below.

When the cubs are large enough to hunt, the mother will drive the males away from the family first. Females will stay together with the mother until they become sexually mature. Then they will be driven away by the mother so they can establish their own territories.

Solitary in habits, except when mating or when a female is accompanied by her young. Serval scent mark their large home ranges of 15 - 30 square km. Home ranges are not exclusive, but occupants avoid contact. Scent marking is conducted with urine and faeces.

Caterpillars

There, see how easy it was!! LOL!!

Almost everyone got it right again except for You Know Who. He does not have a clue again and thinks it is some wooly mamoth or something. Sigh!! I try so hard to make it easy for him. LOL!!

Then of course there is Troutbirder ...... one of these days it is GOING to be a seed just for you. :)

Thanks for playing everyone.

We have the most fantastic caterpillars here but unfortunately, most of them I cannot match up to moths or butterflies as they have not been catalogued.
They come in all interesting shapes and colors.

Mystery Monday - Part 7

Okay Craig and Philip, think "spider" "butterfly" "bee". See, I am giving you a clue. :)

At the same time let me add I spent the weekend without an internet connection and without water, so I might just be feeling a bit mean today and the clues might be totally misleading. :)

Montecasino - Bird Park - Part 1

There is a beautiful Bird Park situated next to the Casino with the entrance by this hot air balloon. If you have not been in one of these balloons before and get the chance to try it out, do go. It is a fantastic flight.

Besides being a bird park with a show twice a day, they also have a host of smaller reptiles, monkeys etc. to be seen.
I arrived there early in the morning and this African Grey parrot was still a little bit sleepy. The history of African Grey parrots kept as pets dates back over 4,000 years. Some Egyptian hieroglyphics clearly depict pet parrots. The ancient Greeks also valued parrots as pets. This custom was later adopted by wealthy Roman families who often kept parrots in ornate cages. King Henry VIII of England also had an African Grey parrot. Portuguese sailors kept them as companions on their long sea voyages.
These two Scarlet Macaws were fighting over the feedbowl. Macaws eat nuts, seeds, fruit, and sometimes insects. They also gnaw and chew on various objects. They show a large amount of intelligence in their behaviour and require constant intellectual stimulation to satisfy their innate curiosity. They often learn tricks easily. Macaws have been said to live for up to 100 years; however, an average of 50 years is probably more accurate. The larger macaws may live up to 65 years.

The White-naped Crane is on the Endangered Species list with only about 5,000 left in the wild and 500 in captive breeding programs. The are found in Mongolia, China and SE Russia.

Flamingos filter-feed on brine shrimp. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat, and are uniquely used upside-down. The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue.

Both parents nurse their chick, and young flamingos feed on this milk, which also contains red and white blood cells, for about two months until their bills are developed enough to filter feed.

The Hyacinth Macaw is third on the Endangered Species list of birds. Macaws are native to Mexico, Central America, South America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forest, especially rainforest, but others prefer woodland or savanna-like habitats. It has been documented that a Macaw's facial feathers are unique as a human fingerprint.

Pelicans rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up its oily secretion, which they transfer to their plumage to waterproof it.

This is the Back-necked Swan fron South America. Swans usually mate for life, though 'divorce' does sometimes occur, particularly following nesting failure. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight.

The Marula Tree (Sclerocarya Birrea)

The Marula Tree (Sclerocarya Birrea) family Anacardiaceae

The Marula is a medium to large tree, usually 9 meters (25 feet) tall. It is single-stemmed with a dense, spreading crown and deciduous foliage. Fascinatingly enough, only the female trees bears fruits, while the male tree displays flower.
Marula wood has been traditionally used for carving pestles and mortars, bowls, drums, beehives and stools and even canoes in some areas. During colonial times it was even used for tomato boxes and toilet seats.

Regarded as a sacred tree in Africa, the Marula is protected in communal lands under the local chief. Because of its leafy foliage and shade-bearing size, it is popular with villages for local meetings, and often in a ploughed field will be the only tree left standing. The Marula tree is often the spiritual centre for ritual activity in kraals and villages.

The bark of the tree has medicinal properties and is used widely in treating dysentery and diarrhea, rheumatism, insect bites and a variety of other ailments. Essence from the leaves is said to provide a remedy for abscesses, spider bites and burns. Preliminary tests show weak pharmalogical activity relative to hypertension, anti-inflammation and painkilling.

There is even legend that a woman can take bark from the male or female tree to determine the sex of her next baby.

The ripe Marula fruit make a wonderful jelly that is delicious when served with meat especially lamb.

Slender Net-winged Beetle ((Cladophorus marshalli) Lycidae

Slender Net-winged Beetles are orange and black and contain cantharadin, making them distastefuly to birds. They feed off the nectar of flowers.
Copper-tailed Blowflies (Chrysomya chloropyga) were used in treating jagged wounds in humans by introducing sterile maggots into the wound. This practice is being revived.

Mantis egg case / sac (ootheca)

Congratulations to Craig who is the winner of this round!! (Sorry everyone else, if I dont say this he is going to sulk for a week and you know how awful THAT can be. LOL!!)

Adrian and Doug got it spot on while many others correctly guessed that it was a cocoon of some kind. Well done and thanks for playing everyone.

It is the egg sack (proper name: ootheca) of a mantis. The eggs are layed in a frothy mass that hardens as it dries, and is about 1 inch in length and would contain over a hundred eggs. Mantids hatching from it are about the size of a medium ant for which they are often mistaken. The pictures below is of a mantis which is about to shed its skin, hence the brown color, as they are usually green.

Mystery Monday - Part 6

This is an easy one for Craig who sulked all week because he only "almost" got last week's one right. LOL!!

I am sure many of you have seen this before.

Montecasino - Inside - Part 2

Please note that all these pctures are INSIDE the building.
Seven different Tuscan neighbourhoods are represented at Montecasino, ranging from the elite uptown to the less affluent 'fishing' village.

Throughout the property fountains, piazzas and cobbled streets bring the beauty of Tuscany to life.

A sidewalk cafe.

Main road with police car.

An old Fiat.

Available taxi.

The food courtyard.

The facility includes:
Casino with 1700 slot machines, 70 tables and 14 cashier stations
Restaurants and coffee shops
Bars and clubs
Food Court with a variety of fast food outlets
15 cinema screens operated by Nu Metro
Pieter Toerien Theatre
Montecasino Bird Gardens
Creche
Magic Company Family Entertainment
Boogaloos Skate Park
Shopping outlets
Wicked Food Cooking School
Conference and events facilities
InterContinental Palazzo Hotel
ATMs - ABSA Bank, First National Bank, Nedbank, Standard Bank
Foreign Exchange
24hr Information Desk
Lost and Found
Gun Safe
Secure parking - undercover and open-air
Complex security
Public toilets