Africa Wild

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:47 am**

Klipspringer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 2:14 am
corotauria wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 9:53 pm
Klipspringer wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:48 am The Christmas beetle may be a Schizonycha sp. There are 300 or so species recorded from Africa.

They have these long thin legs
Great, thanks!

According to this site, there are 23 species of Schizonycha in Namibia.
Still to much to get to species-level...

There is a key, but the photo does not show enouph detail.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pag ... 9/mode/1up

Is it because the photo is to small and details are lost in resizing or is it because the diagnostic features are not in the photo at all?
I can make some specific crops out of the photo to show some details (if that parts are sharp enough of course)? Which parts do we need?

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:30 am**

And what do you think about these 2 moths?

Both Daan Viljoen, april 2022

They both seems to be a Scopula spec., but other then S. deserta no fitting records from Namibia I can find.

Based on net-photo's I believe the first 1 is not a S. deserta, but a lot of look-a-likes flying around in South Africa.
Maybe S. lacataria? But it can also be S. internataria or S. spoliata...

The second actually could be a S. deserta? Or maybe S. subobliquata?

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:31 pm**

Does Chiasmia grimmia fit?
https://vmus.adu.org.za/vm_view_db.php? ... ld=Sp_code

https://www.africanmoths.com/pages/GEOM ... immia.html

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:47 pm**

The first one is very likely a Scopula as you are saying, S. serena wood look like this, but there may be look-alikes

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:31 pm**

Sometimes the only sure method of ID is genitalia dissection with butterflies and moths. Back when I was collecting Lepidoptera, the entomologists sponsoring the trips would spend every night removing the specimens' genitalia to preserve them for further study after the trip. They discovered some new species on several trips, especially moths. Brings back fond memories (the trips, not the killing of the specimens

). I'm a recovered serial killer.

Lepidoptera species generally have different wing patterns which help identify them. Nevertheless, look-alikes and plain colored species can be a challenge, especially with tiny moths. Long before DNA barcoding became a popular identification tool, Lepidopterists relied on what is still the inexpensive gold standard – genitalia dissection.

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/mcgui ... orphology/

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2022 8:07 pm**

Klipspringer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:31 pm Does Chiasmia grimmia fit?
https://vmus.adu.org.za/vm_view_db.php? ... ld=Sp_code

https://www.africanmoths.com/pages/GEOM ... immia.html

Yes, seems to be a fit.
Didn't recognize it on the single photo at Africanmoths.com though, but the other link is convincing.

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2022 8:11 pm**

ExFmem wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:31 pm Sometimes the only sure method of ID is genitalia dissection with butterflies and moths. Back when I was collecting Lepidoptera, the entomologists sponsoring the trips would spend every night removing the specimens' genitalia to preserve them for further study after the trip. They discovered some new species on several trips, especially moths. Brings back fond memories (the trips, not the killing of the specimens ). I'm a recovered serial killer.

Lepidoptera species generally have different wing patterns which help identify them. Nevertheless, look-alikes and plain colored species can be a challenge, especially with tiny moths. Long before DNA barcoding became a popular identification tool, Lepidopterists relied on what is still the inexpensive gold standard – genitalia dissection.

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/mcgui ... orphology/

That is not as far as I am willing to go on ID-ing them...

Scopula serena is indeed the best fit so far. Thanks!

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:12 pm**

2 more Geometridae moths from Daan Viljoen.
Not a clue yet...

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:39 pm**

corotauria wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 8:11 pm That is not as far as I am willing to go on ID-ing them...
Scopula serena is indeed the best fit so far. Thanks!

This site doesn't mention S. serena for Namibia yet, though...
Can't find good photo's of the species mentioned there. Does someone has a book or something?

corotauria wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:12 pm 2 more Geometridae moths from Daan Viljoen.
Not a clue yet...

2nd one, maybe Gnophos delagardei? Or Racotis breijeri? Maybe Zeuctoboarmia cataimena...?

Posted: **Sat Jul 23, 2022 4:48 pm**

Medium butterfly, Nelspruit summer:

(2 of the same species, amazing how every couple of weeks new butterflies are dominant!)

Africa Wild

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