Africa Wild

Thanks BluTuna, I'll investigate that further. I think your strange bug is a ladybug/ladybird larvae. I have a similar pic from here in Florida and it was a ladybug larvae in transition to an adult.

Thanks ExFmem, you are quite right! Now I know what to look for it's easy to ID this as a Harlequin Ladybird Pupa.

Glad to finally be of help, rather than always needing it!

Here are a couple of pics showing different larval stages of a ladybug

interesting

Superb pics, folks!
ExFmem, your Hymenopteran and 2x Dipteran pics are intriguing. "Intriguing" means I'm having fun trying to ID them but I find myself out of depth. I like the clear shot of the wing venation of the second fly. I immediately thought "Hover Fly", but the wing veins do not match. The incised outer margin of its eye should tell us something.

I like your macros of the ladybird pupa, BluTuna. Striking!

wynand,
I really appreciate your trying to me here
I have gone from the "intriguing" stage to the "infuriating" stage. Yep, I also mapped out the venation and compared it to Hover Flies to no avail, then googled eye shapes in flies...to no avail. It is a rather curious feature, so maybe someone can figure it out - probably YOU

(Toko, I added a lacewing entry. I probably don't need to keep telling you when I add something, you're so sharp! , just a head's up)

© Pumbaa

Northern Kruger Park

Any ideas for this Mantid?

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

1.


2.


3.


4.

There has been an explosion of Damselflies in my garden after the rains last week.

I think this is a Common Threadtail


But I'm not sure of this one.

I think this may be a Shieldbug (Stinkbug).