karoopixie's Favorites

25 Oct: Long, tidily constructed tube sticking up from a hole in the ground. No inhabitant activity seen.
The tube was removed and left next to the hole.

26 Oct: A new small tube had been started overnight. There had been some fiddling with the original tube.

27 Oct: A portion of the original tube had been cut off and attached to the short new tube.

29 Oct: Three more burrows and grass tunnels found in a 2x2m area around the original burrow.
The tube was removed from burrow 2. On re-inspection 4hrs later the burrow entrance had been concealed by cut grass pieces.
The tube was removed from burrow 4 - on re-inspection the entrance had been sealed with a very strong lattice of transparent threads.

30 Oct: Five more tubes found, total now 9 in an area of 4x4m.

20 Nov: Attempted excavation of larva resulted in the lower half of a larva being recovered.

21 Nov: Larva seen (and photographed) moving bits of vegetation in the early morning (04:53)

22 Nov: tubes continue to be repaired or replaced.

23 Nov: larva excavated in the early morning and housed, with its host plant, in a bucket covered with shadecloth.

28 Nov: a thorough search of the thick grass was done and 5 more tubes were discovered in the 4x4m area. Interestingly, one tube is considerably narrower than the regular sized tubes and another was found of an intermediate size.

10 Dec: no signs of the captive larva, found it dead and dry under the host grass.

18 Jan: Larvae still active - two damaged tubes were repaired on 18 and 22 Jan

16 March: live larva collected

5 Apr (approx): pupated. See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110835074

19 May Adult eclosed. See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/117838457

The lower surfaces of the tree branches are absolutely covered in cocoons. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. I gently gathered 10 cocoons and have them loose in a shoe box. Any tips on caring for them until emergence are welcome.

These unusual caterpillars hatched out from a specimen of Senecio brachypodus we had collected. The bigger of the two individual caterpillars was about 5 mm long, the second only about 3 mm. The second presumably hatched out later from the eggs shown in two of the images.

White, slightly succulent oxalis - Montagu WCape

Most plants growing under the leaves of something else (Arctopus, I think), so plants a bit etiolated and flower stalks very long (not sure if that's usual). Found on shady, damp east-facing slopes in pockets in the rock.

There was a pink-flowered form too, not sure if same species, so will upload as separate ob.

Reared (CRG SDA23) see:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80371510

Galls collected 26 May 2021.
Adult emerged approx 28 July 2021.

From the smooth gall type.

See also moth reared from spiky gall:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90867518

Gall on Tephrosia capensis.

Reared (CRG SDA24), see:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90867518

Wasp also reared from a gall (CRG SDA23):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89166226

Second wasp reared from a gall(CRG SDA25):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91829883