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! 

 

Trachylepis striata (Peters, 1844)

I know that World Sparrow Day is supposed to be about Synanthropic (read - urbanisation-tolerant) birds, but I'm just trying to be a bit topical, which is why I'm going to throw in this:

Photographed in Chongwe, Lusaka, Zambia in August 2011, using Olympus E-420 with Zuiko 40-150mm lens and 2 KOOD magnifiers.

Over most of Lusaka, and a hefty portion of central and southern Africa, this is the outdoor lizard of urban habitats, which makes it a little surprising that my dictionary of Chewa and Nyanja has no word for 'Skink', beyond the generic lizard 'Buluzi'. Unlike the formerly successful bleuskops and goggomanikes (tree and ground agamas, respectively, but my spelling is probably wrong) these lizards are quick enough to flee, and to breed, that their populations can survive that nemesis of urban biodiversity, the domestic cat (please, people, keep them under control. Would you let a dog or a hamster wander into other people's gardens and across roads? No, no you would not. So why would you let your cat terrorise everything?).

And yes, that sentence is rather tangled. Parentheses have ruined my fluidity.

Anyhow, this little chappie is:

Trachylepis striata wahlbergi

(Peters, 1869)

And, despite being capable of delivering a sharp pinch with is blunt-toothed jaw, it is harmless. It's also fond of eating just about everything smaller than it, be they houseflies, crickets, ants, spiders, or even small frogs and lizards. This one is part of a population around a dried-out reservoir that co-habits with and occasionally snacks upon the much smaller Trachylepis varia (link is to post from Aug 13). They are generally seen vanishing into cracks in walls within areas where catapults are a common toy (I'll refrain from ranting, but just DON'T give small children projectile weapons. It shows a complete lack of foresight and environmental conscience, among other things), and watching lazily from walls where catapults are rare. They don't cope all that well with plastic buckets being left upright and unchecked close to walls, or smooth-sided cardboard, so be considerate, and check these regularly to avoid finding lizards dehydrated to death. 

To encourage them: ensure that there are raised surfaces, such as logs, rocks or walls, close to extensive hiding places. Most urban gardens provide this anyway. Discourage cats, and do not use pesticides. These little fellows - along with the aforementioned agamas - are actually very good at keeping most pest insects below damaging levels, provided they're not being poisoned. 

Here's a more complete (with the exception of the damaged tail) photograph of Lusaka's most abundant skink: 

Chongwe, Lusaka, Zambia, October 2011, Olympus E-420 with 40-150mm lens and 1 KOOD magnifier.

And with that, let's get on with the taxonomy:

- Lygosominae                    

See also Trachylepis varia.

- Scincidae                            

- Scincomorpha                       

See also Zootoca vivipara.

- Scleroglossa                             

See also Thelotornis capensis and Lygodactylus capensis.

- Squamata                                    

- Lepidosauria                                 

- Lepidosauromorpha                        

- Sauria                                                 

See also Larus argentatus, Sterna hirundo, Burhinus vermiculatus, Troglodytes troglodytes, Megaceryle maxima, Ardea goliath, Chalcophaps indica, Stigmatopelia senegalensis  and Tockus alboterminatus.

- Diapsida                                                

- Romeriida                                                

- Reptilia                                                       

- Amniota                                                        

- Reptiliomorpha                                                

See also Syncerus caffer and Hipposideros vittatus.

- Tetrapoda                                                          

See also Rana temporaria, Breviceps poweri and Chiromantis xerampelina.

- Sarcopterygii                                                        

- Osteichthyes                                                           

See also Synchiropus splendidus.

- Teleostomi                                                                

- Gnathostomata                                                            

- Vertebrata                                                                     

- Craniata                                                                          

- Chordata                                                                           

- Deuterostomia                                                                     

- Nephrozoa                                                                            

See also Burtoa nilotica, Ligia oceanica, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Hyllus argyrotoxus, Alopecosa barbipes, Enoplognatha ovata, Argiope bruennichi, Pardosa amentata, Enallagma cyathigerum, Pseudagrion hageni, Lestinogomphus angustus, Rhyothemis semihyalina, Humbe tenuicornis, Lobosceliana loboscelis, Cyathosternum prehensile, Heteropternis thoracica, Stictogryllacris punctata, Enyaliopsis, Tettigonia viridissima, Sibylla, Pephricus, Grypocoris stysi, Ranatra, Anoplocnemis curvipes, 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, Hagenomyia tristis, Phyllobius pomaceus, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Malachius bipustulatus, Oedemera nobilis, Melolontha melolontha, Cheilomenes lunata, Neojulodis vittipennis, Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasinii and Lophyra cf. differens.

- Bilateralia                                                                                 

- Eumetazoa                                                                                   

- Animalia                                                                                         

- Eukaryota                         

And that, folks, is all!