caterpillar – Bewilderbeast Droppings

Palmiet Night Walk

A few Palmiet Rangers went on a night walk led by herpetologist snake catcher and all-round naturalist Nick Evans. And they saw good stuff:

Amietia angolensis

egg eater — Amietia angolensis

Meantime I took some pics in my garden lately

tiny groundcover

jasminum? — tiny groundcover

And another of our naturalists, Suncana, was busy as ever, spotting new and fascinating things:

– Suncana Bradley’s latest –

– Suncana Bradley’s latest –

While Roger and Rory shot more birds:

– Roger Hogg caught a Crowned Hornbill catching a Common Wolf Snake –

– Roger Hogg caught a Crowned Hornbill catching a Common Wolf Snake –

– Roger Hogg and Rory O’Connor here in the Palmiet valley – Athol Marchant in the Drakensberg –

– Roger Hogg and Rory O’Connor here in the Palmiet valley – Athol Marchant in the Drakensberg –

~~~oo0oo~~~

This “emperor moth” from Cowies Hill wasn’t. Turns out iNaturalist says it’s a Giant Silkworm Moth. Genus Lobobunaea. Beauty, but does it belong in our valley?!

~~oo0oo~~

Lockdown Creatures

This large shiny white butterfly flitted across my view. Must get a pic of that, I thought. I watched as it flew toward a bush and – disappeared! I approached carefully, keeping A sharp lookout. And there it was only it was now matt leaf-green! The underwings closed gave it great camouflage.

– It was a Mother-of-Pearl Salamis parhassus –

– It was a Mother-of-Pearl Salamis parhassus –

– noctuidae lawn-feeding caterpillar about 30mm long when elongated – according to our great neighbourhood entomologist ‘Sun’ –

– maybe caterpillar with wasp eggs? – unknown crustacean – unknown beetle –

– maybe caterpillar with wasp eggs? – unknown crustacean – unknown beetle –

– whip scorpion rescued by Jessie –

~~~oo0oo~~~