Green Milkweed Locust (Phymateus leprosus)

Family Pyrgomorphidae
A large grasshopper about 7cm in body length.
Raises and rustles wings when threatened and produces an evil-smelling foam from the thoracic joints.
Nymphs are a bright green and black colour and very well disguised in the grass as seen (or not seen) in the first picture. :)
These have been known to be a pest in citrus orchards.
Human fatalities from ingestion are known.


Info: Field Guide to South African Insects

Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopeezus nigromaculatus)

Family Cerambycidae

 A large beetle about 2cm in length with an interesting pattern on its back.

No information available on it.

White-barred Acraea - Male (Hyalites encedon)

Please note name change from Hyalites encedon to Telchinia Encedon

  Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

 They prefer wooded savanna and open coastal forest from East London along the eastern coast and from Gauteng northwards.

Info: Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa (Steve Woodhall)

Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

Unlike other mammals, both  male and  female can only move their  lower jaw and not the upper.

 As the adult  males leave the herd for part of the time, normally returning only for the rutting season, a female is usually the herd leader.

 Weighing about eight hundred kilograms when fully matured, it is still possible for them to attain a  speed of up to forty five kilometres per  hour when charging although this would vary according to circumstances.

 Mostly they are found near water in which they wallow to keep themselves cool in the heat of  the day and also to encase themselves with mud to get rid of the ticks.

Helmeted Guineafowl

A very common bird found in all but a very small area in the extreme northwest.

They are fairly large, about the size of a duck and seen in all habitats from grasslands to bushveld and cultivated land.
Several hundred may flock together and at night roost in trees.
They eat seeds, berries, insects, snails and ticks amongst other things.

Small Green Dung Beetle (Gymnopleurus humeralis)

Family Scarabaeidae

These are found in all but the arid regions of South Africa.

 They are small with a body length of only 12mm and can be compared by my finger.


Active by day, they cut brood balls out of fresh dung.

Garden Acraea - Male (Acraea horta)

Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

 A medium size butterfly found in the eastern half of SA.

Rodentia Striped Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio)

Family Muridae

They have a body length of about 8-10cm and found in the succulent Karoo and these were seen coming out into the morning sun to warm themselves.

Although they forage alone, they live in family groups.

Red Spittle Bug (Locris areata)

Family Cercopidae

These are easily confused with the Red SPOTTED Spittle Bug (Locris arithmetica) but have orange bodies and thorax although both are the same size, about 23mm.

Bagrada Bug (Bagrada hilaris)

Family Pentatomidae

These are very small and easily identified by the colours.

They are found in large numbers and damage shoots of young plants.

Feed on potato, peanuts and garden flowers.

They have an extremely limited area in which they are found.

Info: Field Guide to South African Insects