Africa Wild

Great entry, ExFmem!

Progress indeed

Once we are done with the ants, there is another beautiful planthopper

Medium butterfly, 4cm across. Nelspruit hillside December.


It sits with its wings down, not up!

Window Acraea, female? https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 35#p231335

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:47 am Window Acraea, female? https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 35#p231335

Very good photos, nice to see the surrounds, not only the insect close-up. Well done, Richprins!

A list with Cixiidae (we need then for ExFmem's planthopper)
http://www.hemiptera-databases.org/flow ... ry&id=1233

South Africa
Cixiidae Spinola, 1839
Achaemenes australis (Walker, 1851)
Achaemenes costalis Stål, 1866
Achaemenes notatinervis Stål, 1866
Achaemenes resurgens (Walker, 1858)
Achaemenes umkomaasi Synave, 1952
Atonurus (Atonurus) digitatus (Van Stalle, 1987)
Atonurus (Atonurus) meridianus (Van Stalle, 1984)
Atonurus (Atonurus) natalensis (Stål, 1855)
Atonurus (Atonurus) pseudofusculus (Van Stalle, 1987)
Brixia divisa (Walker, 1858)
Brixia natalicola (Stål, 1855)
Brixia speciosa Muir, 1923
Caffrocixius capeneri Van Stalle, 1987
Caffrocixius fennahi Synave, 1969
Caffrocixius metcalfi Van Stalle, 1987
Caffrocixius muiri Van Stalle, 1987
Caffrocixius personatus Fennah, 1967
Caffrocixius synavei (Van Stalle, 1987)
Cicerama mostovskii Emeljanov, 2007
Cixius dotatus Walker, 1857
Cixius hyalinus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805)
Cixius setinervis Stål, 1855
Eumecurus brachycephalus (Distant, 1907)
Eumecurus hottentottus (Stål, 1855)
Flachaemus diluta (Stål, 1866)
Mnemosyne hirata Melichar, 1904
Myndus vanschuytbroecki (Synave, 1963)
Norialsus berkheyae Szwedo, 2005
Norialsus caffer (Stål, 1855)
Norialsus fasciolata (Stål, 1855)
Oliarus bantuanus Distant, 1907
Oliarus fasciolata Stål, 1855
Oliarus florifontis Van Stalle, 1987
Oliarus fuscipennis (Stål, 1855)
Oliarus runingensis Synave, 1962
Pentastiridius bifurcatus Van Stalle, 1986
Pentastiridius moestus (Stål, 1855)
Pentastiridius virgultivagus (Hesse, 1925)
Taomma rasnitsyni Emeljanov, 2007

South Africa
Achaemenes costalis Stål, 1866
Achaemenes notatinervis Stål, 1866
Achaemenes resurgens (Walker, 1858)
Atonurus (Atonurus) natalensis (Stål, 1855)
Atonurus (Atonurus) pseudofusculus (Van Stalle, 1987)
Brixia natalicola (Stål, 1855)
Brixia speciosa Muir, 1923
Cixius dotatus Walker, 1857
Cixius setinervis Stål, 1855
Eumecurus brachycephalus (Distant, 1907)
Eumecurus hottentottus (Stål, 1855)
Flachaemus diluta (Stål, 1866)
Mnemosyne hirata Melichar, 1904
Norialsus caffer (Stål, 1855)
Oliarus bantuanus Distant, 1907
Oliarus fasciolata Stål, 1855
Oliarus florifontis Van Stalle, 1987
Oliarus fuscipennis (Stål, 1855)
Oliarus runingensis Synave, 1962
Pentastiridius bifurcatus Van Stalle, 1986
Pentastiridius moestus (Stål, 1855)


Western Cape
Taomma rasnitsyni Emeljanov, 2007
Pentastiridius virgultivagus (Hesse, 1925)

KZN
Achaemenes australis (Walker, 1851)
Achaemenes costalis Stål, 1866
Achaemenes umkomaasi Synave, 1952
Atonurus (Atonurus) natalensis (Stål, 1855)
Brixia divisa (Walker, 1858)
Brixia natalicola (Stål, 1855)
Caffrocixius fennahi Synave, 1969
Caffrocixius personatus Fennah, 1967
Cicerama mostovskii Emeljanov, 2007
Cixius hyalinus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805)
Cixius setinervis Stål, 1855
Eumecurus hottentottus (Stål, 1855)
Myndus vanschuytbroecki (Synave, 1963)
Norialsus caffer (Stål, 1855)
Norialsus fasciolata (Stål, 1855)
Pentastiridius moestus (Stål, 1855)

Mpumalanga
Caffrocixius synavei (Van Stalle, 1987)

Eastern Cape
Atonurus (Atonurus) natalensis (Stål, 1855)
Caffrocixius capeneri Van Stalle, 1987

South Africa (Northern provinces, ex Transvaal)
Atonurus (Atonurus) digitatus (Van Stalle, 1987)
Atonurus (Atonurus) meridianus (Van Stalle, 1984)
Caffrocixius muiri Van Stalle, 1987
Eumecurus hottentottus (Stål, 1855)
Norialsus berkheyae Szwedo, 2005
Pentastiridius virgultivagus (Hesse, 1925)

Links:
https://www.hemiptera-databases.org/flowpdf/2359.pdf
https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=s ... 87:60::493
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23734852?s ... b_contents
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/DENISIA_0004_0113-0138.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.11 ... 3807030062

Need a second opinion please - here's the Identification (worker) for O. fortior:

Anterior clypeal margin with a semicircular median impression which is flanked on each side by a small tooth or denticle. Maximum diameter of eye 0.36-0.40, about 0.20-0.23 x HW. Promesonotal dorsum evenly shallowly convex in profile, the convex portion not strongly raised above the level of the propodeum so that the slope of the posterior half of the mesonotum is very shallow indeed. Propodeal dorsum flat or slightly sloping, rounding evenly into the declivity, the slope of which is quite steep but by no means vertical. Metapleural lobes low and bluntly rounded, sometimes mostly concealed by the bulge of the metapleural glands but usually easily visible. Peduncle of petiole commonly without a ventral process but quite frequently a low rounded bulge is present, which in a few may be shorter and more prominent, forming a broad, low and rounded angle. Petiole node small and low in profile, evenly rounded, the transition from dorsal surface of peduncle to anterior face of node involving a marked change of slope. Petiole node in dorsal view slender, small, varying from longer than broad to slightly broader than long, but the maximum width of the node usually less than the length from the petiolar spiracle to the apex of the collar where petiole and postpetiole articulate. Postpetiole in dorsal view longer than broad, sometimes only slightly so, but usually the difference easily visible. Base of first gastral tergite strongly constricted and forming a narrow neck behind the postpetiole Dorsum of head finely, densely and usually very regularly sharply longitudinally costulate, the costulae usually parallel or nearly so over most or all of the area. In many samples all costulae run straight back on the head, but commonly the outermost components tend to curve outwards behind the eyes. Very rarely there is a tendency for the costulae to converge on the midline posteriorly, in which case a few transverse members may be developed on the occipital surface. Ground-sculpture of fine punctulation is present everywhere. Dorsal alitrunk densely costulate or rugose, the usual pattern being with arched transverse sculpture on the anterior part of the pronotum followed by an area of longitudinal sculpture which runs back just beyond the mesothoracic spiracles, followed by coarser transverse sculpture on the remainder of the alitrunk dorsum. Exceptions to this are usually due to the extension of the longitudinal component on the pronotum at the expense of the transverse. At its most extreme the longitudinal component reaches forward almost to the cervical shield, and the other costulae are arched so steeply around it that they appear longitudinal everywhere except on the extreme anterior part. Very rarely the longitudinal costulae may extend back to the mesonotal-propodeal junction. In a few cases the costulae between the mesothoracic spiracles are oblique, and now and then an individual is found in which the entire dorsal alitrunk is transversely sculptured. Ventral surface of petiole with transverse rugulae of variable intensity, usually fairly distinct but grading through to very faint. These rugulae may extend for some distance up the sides of the node before fading out, but rarely reach the dorsum. Dorsum of peduncle and anterior and posterior faces of node usually with weak transverse rugulae, very faint and scratch-like in places; the dorsum of the node itself only rarely with vestiges of rugular sculpture, generally unsculptured or with a superficial patterning. Postpetiole only with a superficial patterning or more or less smooth. All dorsal surfaces of head and alitrunk with hairs of varying length, the hairs of the first gastral tergite much shorter and sparser than on the alitrunk. Head and alitrunk varying from dull brick-red to lighter red, the two always the same colour; gaster darker, blackish brown to black.

Do I really need to include ALL of that since I doubt serious scientists are coming to AW for ID help, and we mere hobbyists need an ant anatomy tome to understand most of it? I suppose in the interest of accuracy I should, but perhaps I can only include a few pointers, then note that a more complete description can be found in the article linked in the entry.

ExFmem wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:09 pm only include a few pointers, then note that a more complete description can be found in the article linked in the entry.

is the best idea, IMO

Will post tomorrow - I have a basketball game to watch tonight.

There are too many