tonyrebelo's Favorites

Impressive post-fire display

2years after a controlled burn, the plants have put on a great show. Expect something similar next year from the Olifantsbos plants.
6 plants all within a few steps from each other.
Threats: the small size of the population, but are protected by being within TMNP.

The light was bad, early evening with mist covering most or the pans. Quite a collection of waders in the man made salt pans: Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Sandpipers (Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Little Stint and those are only the ones I could see), Kittlitz's, Common Ringed and Three-banded Plovers. Chestnut-banded also occur here but I dipped on them. Black-necked Grebe are almost always in the first pan near the old Uitenhage road. Lesser and Greater Flamingo often visit these pans. Cape Shoveler, Cape Teal, Red-billed Teal and Yellow-billed Duck have been recorded at Tankatara.

I have seen a few images identified on iNat as Calidea nymphs that I think may be Solenosthedium liligerum nymphs. I therefore decided to post this series of images from one of my rearing programs to shed some light on the colourful nymphs and their ids. I maintained several rearing programs of Solenosthedium liligerum over the years. Their nymphs do indeed resemble the adults (and nymphs) of Calidea. The nymphs of these two bugs appear similar, but the most obvious difference is the shape of the abdomen - in Calidea it is more elongated. The best example of the latter can be found here - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10973011. I only identified instars 1 to 3 here, from instar 4 to 5 (and even in some 3rd instars), dramatic colour and pattern differences may be observed between individuals (maybe because of engorging). I therefore did not include them here. My objective with this post is just to raise awareness that the nymphs of the two species may easily be confused with each other. When I get my hands on a population of Calidea, I will then be able to do proper comparisons side by side. Ps. In some nymphs there are three upper lines on the abdomen, and in some there are only two and in some no lines at all. I stand ready to be corrected if I have any taxonomic aspects wrong above. I am not a trained taxonomist, but a generalist Zoologist/Entomologist.

A surprise lifer for me early this morning. I've been looking for this bird for ages and it came right to my front door. Poor thing was slightly dazed after it flew into my sliding door but it quickly started getting feisty with that needle sharp beak. Placed it on my husband's hand for a photo. Only managed to get one before it disappeared into my Plum tree.

Whirling colony of rotifers connected by the feet. About 2-3mm. Every now and then, they would all retract in unison.

Description of Sinantherina semibullata is that it has two dark warts behind the corona. Viewed under transmitted light these are not dark but simply denser tissue.