Africa Wild

The Giant Xylocopa flavorufa is brown black and females without bands

Atlas Hymenoptera: Les Xylocopa d'Afrique

Toko wrote:The Giant Xylocopa flavorufa is brown black and females without bands

Atlas Hymenoptera: Les Xylocopa d'Afrique

I did find a picture purporting to be Xylocopa flavorufa but it was misidentified if your site is correct.

There are a two differences between my picture and the Xylocopa caffra bees that I see in my garden.

1. Black eyes - all of the Xylocopa caffra I have seen have yellow/brown eyes with black spots.
2. This bee has huge mandibles which I haven't seen on Xylocopa caffra but this may be that they keep them tucked away when they are foraging.

Another candidate could be Xylocopa inconstans, it occurs in my area and some have white bands!

Great Carpenter Bee link BTW.

I think, you hit the nail

Toko wrote:I think, you hit the nail

Another tick!

I'm happy if you want to put it on the page as Xylocopa inconstans. Until someone disputes it

Amoli wrote:What kind of spider is this?
I thought it could be a golden orb
Taken at the office in the basement (Johannesburg)

This is a Common Rain Spider. It's in the Spider book viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3235&p=144574#p144574.

Toko wrote:

BluTuna wrote:More to be identified for the AW Insect books.

Red-Veined Dropwing?????? It looks a bit different to the ones I usually see.

the body stripes look strange for a teneral male and it's not a female either

Eureka! This looks like an Epaulet Skimmer female (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

BluTuna wrote:

Toko wrote:

BluTuna wrote:More to be identified for the AW Insect books.

Red-Veined Dropwing?????? It looks a bit different to the ones I usually see.

the body stripes look strange for a teneral male and it's not a female either

Eureka! This looks like an Epaulet Skimmer female (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Me also Eureka!
Teneral female Two-striped Skimmer Orthetrum caffrum.
The Epaulet has only one white stripe and this one has the two distinct thoracic stripes.

Toko wrote:

BluTuna wrote:

Toko wrote:

BluTuna wrote:More to be identified for the AW Insect books.

Red-Veined Dropwing?????? It looks a bit different to the ones I usually see.

the body stripes look strange for a teneral male and it's not a female either

Eureka! This looks like an Epaulet Skimmer female (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Me also Eureka!
Teneral female Two-striped Skimmer Orthetrum caffrum.
The Epaulet has only one white stripe and this one has the two distinct thoracic stripes.

You are quite right (as usual) The Two-striped Skimmer also occurs in my area

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