Dichtha inflata, Gerstaecker, 1854 (Probably) and Namibian Independence.

So tomorrow (well, today, if you're further East than Jakarta), is the day that Namibia celebrates its independence from South Africa, fully realised in 1990.

Which I thought I would commemorate by putting up a vaguely Namibian photo, which becomes a touch more complex when I note that I have never actually been to Namibia.

This shouldn't really be a problem - the Caprivi strip takes up a significant chunk of Zambia's southern border, and a fair number of species occur widely in both countries. The issue arose because I wanted something that more specifically said 'Namibia!' - an Icon, if you like. The obvious choices are therefore on Namibia's coat of arms: Oryx (or Gemsbok) and African fish eagle. The former I've only managed to photograph in captivity, and the latter, if I had a good enough picture, would be reserved for Zambian independence.

Another problem was that these are both vertebrates, as have been my last three posts, and I can get a little sick of backbones from time to time.

But then it struck me:

Photographed in New Kasama, Lusaka, Zambia in March 2013, using Olympus E-420 with Zuiko 40-150mm lens and 2 KOOD magnifiers.

This is a member of a group of animals that I really think of when I think of Namibia. In Afrikaans, it's a Toktokkie, one of a number of darkling beetles who tap their abdomens against the ground to attract mates.
Although representatives are found across much of Africa, the association of a number of endemic and near-endemic species with the Namib desert has made them an icon, for me at least, of the region.

Without further ado, then, this is (almost certainly):

Dichtha inflata

Gerstaecker, 1854

However, it's worthy of note that this follows a rather convoluted method of identification, and so I can't actually cite a source... sorry... 

Anyway, provided that I've not starting barking up altogether the wrong tree, D. inflata belongs to: 

 - Molurina  

- Sepidiini     

- Pimelinae     

- Tenebrionidae
- Tenebrionoidea

See also Oedemera nobilis.

- Cucujiformia      

See also Otiorhynchus atroapterus,Malachius bipustulatus , Phyllobius pomaceus, and Cheilomenes lunata.

- Polyphaga            

See also Melolontha melolontha and Neojulodis vittipennis.

- Coleoptera            

See also Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasinii and Lophyra cf. differens.

- Coleopterida           

- Endopterygota          

See also Synagris proserpina, Vespula germanica, Astata tropicalis, Anthophora furcata, Andrena nigroaenea, Zebronia phenice, Crambus pascuella, Nemophora degeerella, Sphinx ligustri, Laelia robusta, Acada biseriata, Metisella willemi, Anthocharis cardamines, Papilio demodocus, Panorpa germanica, Chloromyia formosa, Senaspis haemorrhoa, Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus, Metadon inermis, Diasemopsis meigenii, Dolichotachina caudata, Megistocera filipes and Hagenomyia tristis.

- Eumetabola                 

See also  Pephricus, Grypocoris stysi, Ranatra and Anoplocnemis curvipes.

- Neoptera                       

See also Humbe tenuicornis, Lobosceliana loboscelis, Cyathosternum prehensile, Heteropternis thoracica, Stictogryllacris punctata, Enyaliopsis, Tettigonia viridissima and Sibylla.

- Metapterygota                 

See also Enallagma cyathigerum, Pseudagrion hageni, Lestinogomphus angustus and Rhyothemis semihyalina.

- Pterygota                           

- Dicondylia                            

- Insecta                                   

- Hexapoda                                

- Arthropoda                                

See also Dicranopalpus ramosus, Hyllus argyrotoxus, Alopecosa barbipes, Enoplognatha ovata, Argiope bruennichi, Pardosa amentata  and Ligia oceanica.

- Ecdysozoa                                    

- Protostomia                                    

See also Burtoa nilotica.

- Nephrozoa                                         

See also Synchiropus splendidus, Rana temporaria, Breviceps poweri, Chiromantis xerampelina, Hipposideros vittatus, Syncerus caffer, Tockus alboterminatus, Larus argentatus, Sterna hirundo, Burhinus vermiculatus, Troglodytes troglodytes, Megaceryle maxima, Ardea goliath, Chalcophaps indica, Stigmatopelia senegalensis, Lygodactylus capensis, Thelotornis capensis, Zootoca vivipara, Trachylepis varia and Trachylepis wahlbergi.

- Bilateralia                                           

- Eumetazoa                                             

- Animalia                                                   

- Eukaryota                                                    

And, with a Happy Birthday to an Independent Namibia, That's All, Folks! 

 

Chiromantis xerampelina, Peters, 1854

It's about time we had a vertebrate.

And what a vertebrate.

- Eukaryota
  - Animalia
    - Eumetazoa
      - Bilateralia
        - Nephrozoa - see also Hyllus argyrotoxus, Argiope bruennichi, Enoplognatha ovata, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Ligia oceanica, Anthia fornasiini, Demetrias atricapillus, Malachius bipustulatus, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Melolontha melolontha, Astata tropicalis, Synagris proserpina, Vespula germanica, Hagenomyia tristis, Acada biseriata, Anthocharis cardamines, Laelia robusta, Zebronia phenice, Senaspis haemorrhoa, Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus, Diasemopsis meigenii, Megistocera filipes, Panorpa germanica, Ranatra, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Pephricus, Cyathosternum prehensile,  Stictogryllacris punctata, Sibylla, Enallagma cyathigerum and Pseudagrion hageni.
          - Deuterostomia
            - Chordata
              - Craniata
                - Vertebrata
                  - Gnathostomata
                    - Teleostomi
                      - Osteichthys
                        - Sarcopterygii
                          - Tetrapoda - see also Hipposideros vittatus, Sterna hirundo, Ardea goliath, Lygodactylus capensis, Chalcophaps indica, Trachylepis varia and Thelotornis capensis.
                            - Amphibia
                              - Lissamphibia
                                - Batrachia
                                  - Salienta
                                    - Anura
                                      - Bombinanura
                                        - Pipanura
                                          - Acosmanura
                                            - Neobatrachia
                                              - Ranoidea
                                                - Rhacophoridae
                                                  - Rhacophorinae

Chiromantis xerampelina

Peters, 1854

Also known as the Grey Tree Frog, the African Foam-Nest Frog, the African Grey Foam-Nest Tree Frog... they go on and on.

This small, unimposing frog may look unremarkable, but believe you me, it isn't. Its nesting habits are well covered elsewhere, and so we won't discuss arboreal orgies, but instead talk of its extraordinary physiology.

In many areas in central and eastern Africa, this frog is the only frog you will find away from water in the dry seasons. Toads, themselves very tolerant of dehydration, will still usually remain close to some permanent body of water, even if it's only a dripping faucet half a mile away, but this frog will endure months without anything to drink, or anything to eat; it can tolerate direct tropical sunlight for fourteen hours without drying out of getting a raised temperature, it barely urinates - I would be more specific, and this paragraph will eventually be edited to be so, but my books are in storage, so for now, you're only getting the bits I can remember. Sorry, and all that.

Anyway, it is most readily identified by its unusual digital arrangement among local frogs - having two toes pointing in each direction. Its colouring is not reliable, as it can vary from a very pale grey to a brown so dark it's almost black, with or without marbling.

That's all, folks.... at least until I get my books back...