Africa Wild

A Weevil of some kind.



I don't have a clue what this strange thing is.



This is an adult Ant-Lion that my SO caught at work (Hartebeeshoek) and brought home for me.

Super pics, once again, BluTuna.
The moths are different species of Loopers (Geometridae). I'll see if I can get a closer id. when some leisure time is restored around here.
I'll have a go at all of them. That is, if they're not ID'd by other forum members before the weekend .

wynand wrote:Super pics, once again, BluTuna.
The moths are different species of Loopers (Geometridae). I'll see if I can get a closer id. when some leisure time is restored around here.
I'll have a go at all of them. That is, if they're not ID'd by other forum members before the weekend .

Thanks Wynand you and Toko make a formidable ID team

Toko wrote: © Pumbaa

Northern Kruger Park

Any ideas for this Mantid?

By process of elimination I'll venture that this belongs to the "common" (sorry) Mantids, the Mantidae.

Legs and other body parts without ornamental lobes: not Hymenopodidae.
Not all that lightly built and not a relatively slender prothorax: not Thespidae.
No forked, toothed projection on its head: not Sibyllidae
No leaf like lobes on the legs and head not cone shaped: not Empusidae.

Best I can do, and I may still be wrong.

Sounds very professional, wynand we are getting closer

Reading through this document I wonder if it is a Tarachodes sp.

http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_rem ... 3-0346.pdf

Toko, I'm a rank amateur.
And thanks for the link. At 36MB my bandwith was a bit challenged, so I didn't get to the Tarachodes description and I can't support or disagree with your suggestion.

The legs of this mantid are bit spindly for a Bark Mantid, or does the Kaltenbach description allow that?

BluTuna wrote:These are moths that I've seen over the past couple of weeks. They all have a wingspan of around 5cm.

2.

No. 2 matches: Scopula nigronotata
(GEOMETRIDAE : STERRHINAE)

No 1 GEOMETRIDAE, also subfamily, Sterrhinae.

No 3 and 4 GEOMETRIDAE, subfamily, Ennominae. Have a look at: http://www.africanmoths.com/pages/GEOME ... bsall.html, especially the genus, Chiasmia.

Tarachodes and the Kaltenbach link.

The link finally opened. Too technical for me and one has to dissect reproductive plumbing. I'm not criticising your link, b.t.w. Just saying that I'm out of my depth.