Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[wynand]

BluTuna: Have you got another angle on that bee (the top pic of the last trio you posted). Looks like a Cuckoo Bee but to be more certain we'd have to see if there are sharp, backward pointing projections either side of the thorax?

[BluTuna]

Hi Wynand,

Here are some more angles on that bee.





I hope these help. I can't see any projections but that's probably because I don't know what to look for. Could you ring the projections (or where they are supposed to be) on one of the pictures please?

[mposthumus]

Thanks for the compliments. No, I'm not good. I just take an interest in invertebrate identification and I have some reference works.

Welcome to the Forum wynand your "interest" is certainly our gain

Please keep up the good work

[ExFmem]

Moved to permanent Mantid thread.

[nan]

sand color in the sand

[Toko]

Tarachodes looks like this

[Super Mongoose]

WoW ExFmem, just look at those eyes!

[ExFmem]

Yes, Toko, that was my best guess as well. Should I enter it in the permanent mantid thread as Tarachodes sp. ? (or wait for a more specific identification)?

[Toko]

As you like, I don't find any reference for Id on species level.

[ExFmem]

Me too!!! I'm having a heck of a time identifying mantids.

I have another from KK in KTP (was posted previously in the Insects and Creepy Crawlies section) that I am quite sure is Episcopomantis chalybea, but my insect guide, (which looks EXACTLY like it), only shows it in the Eastern half of SA. I found 2 other pics on the web from Botswana and Namibia, but those specimens were greenish and mine is straw. Male/female? or color variation, but the description in my guide says "uniformly straw"...

If I can't tell a honey badger from a polecat, what are my chances of success w/ mantids
(But I did know it wasn't a zebra, as their distribution doesn't extent to the KTP )