| Cyphononyx optimus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cyphononyx optimus from Ethiopia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Genus: | Cyphononyx |
| Species: | C. optimus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyphononyx optimus (Smith, 1855) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cyphononyx optimus is a species of spider wasps in the family Pompilidae. [1]
C. optimus can reach a length around 50 mm (2.0 in). The body is completely black, with black antennae. The wings are black, too, with bluish reflections. Legs are yellowish. [2]
Females of this genus hunt and paralyse large spiders, mainly Palystes species. [3] [2]
This species can be found in subtropical forests, savanna, and bushveld of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. [1] [3] [2]
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are one of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze their prey before dragging it to a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva which eats the still-living host. They are found on all continents other than Europe and Antarctica.
The Gelastocoridae is a family of about 100 species of insects in the suborder Heteroptera. These fall into two genera, about 15 species of Gelastocoris from the New World and 85 of Nerthra from the Old World. They are reminiscent of toads both in the warty appearance and hopping movements of some species.
The Ochteridae comprise a small family of insects. Eight genera with about 80 species have been described. They occur worldwide along the shore of various types of water and the greatest diversity is in tropical regions. They are "true bugs", being members of the order Hemiptera, and are in the suborder Heteroptera. Ochteridae commonly are known as the velvety shore bugs. They resemble the Saldidae shore bugs and have lengths ranging from 4.5 to 9 mm (0.18–0.35 in).
Hemistigma albipunctum, also known as the piedspot, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Stomorhina lunata is a species of fly in the family Rhiniidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1805.
Aptera fusca, the Cape Mountain cockroach, giant cockroach or Table Mountain cockroach, is a large cockroach which is widespread on low vegetation in open areas in the fynbos biome of the Western Cape region of South Africa. Adult females can be from 30 to 40 millimetres long. Males are slightly smaller and have dark brown wings, which are absent in females. It is stoutly built, with a reddish head and brown to black body segments with prominent yellow margins. The femora are heavily spined, with the hind tibiae having two very broad ridges with only two rows of spurs. They are nocturnal and herbivorous. Unusually for insects, it gives birth to 18–24 live offspring and protects the young for a while after giving birth. Family groups are found in late summer and autumn: a brood of black nymphs, a wingless female and two or more males, all living in a hidden crack. When alarmed, it raises its abdomen into the air and squeaks loudly; it also releases a foul-smelling liquid from glands on the back when handled and alarmed, producing an indelible brown stain on skin. The only other species in the genus Aptera, A. munda, is rare, and is found in the Richtersveld.
Dictyophorus spumans, the koppie foam grasshopper or rooibaadjie, is a species of grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae indigenous to southern Africa. The name "foaming grasshopper" derives from the insect's ability to produce a toxic foam from its thoracic glands. Its genus Dictyophorus is closely related to Phymateus.
Brachycerus ornatus, common name red-spotted lily weevil or moose face lily weevil, is a species of family Curculionidae, subfamily Brachycerinae.
Diplognatha gagates is a species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae subfamily.
Palystes castaneus is a species of huntsman spider found in parts of South Africa. It is common from Cape Town to Heidelberg, Western Cape, especially in forested areas. In scrub outside forested areas, it is replaced by Palystes superciliosus. It occurs mainly on plants, where it hunts insects. It has a body length of 17–22 mm. P. castaneus is the type species for the genus Palystes, and was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1819.
The common rain spider, formerly P. natalius, is a species of huntsman spider native to Southern Africa. It is the most common and widespread species in the genus Palystes. In South Africa its distribution ranges from KwaZulu-Natal province in the east, then westwards to the provinces of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West in the north, and Eastern Cape and Western Cape in the south. It has a body length of 15–36 mm and a leg span of up to 110mm. The species was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1875.
Palystes is a genus of huntsman spiders, commonly called rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders, occurring in Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific. The most common and widespread species is P. superciliosus, found in South Africa, home to 12 species in the genus. The name Palystes is derived from either the Latin palaestes or the Greek palaistes, meaning "wrestler". The genus was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1875.
Acanthoscelis ruficornis, Beach ground beetle is a species of ground beetle in the Scaritinae subfamily, the only species in the genus Acanthoscelis.
The white-legged toktokkies are ground-dwelling, Afrotropical beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. They are stout, black beetles of about 2 – 2.5 cm in length. The antennae and legs are covered in pale to brownish down. Like the related genus Psammodes, the adults tap out a rhythm on the ground to attract and locate mates. They feed on both plant and animal material. Some species, like D. inflata, may feign death.
Mecynorhina passerinii, the Orange-Spotted Fruit Chafer, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.
Tetralobus flabellicornis, the Giant Acacia Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.
Rhamphorrhina splendens, commonly known as the regal fruit chafer, is a large beetle of the family Scarabaeidae which can grow to 30mm long.
Anacridium moestum, the camouflaged tree locust, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the family Acrididae, that is native to Africa south of the equator. It is similar in appearance to the Southern African desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria flavicentris. It is likewise brownish, large and slender, but mostly arboreal in its habits.
The rain spider wasp or red-femora spider wasp is an Afrotropical species of spider wasp specialising in capturing spiders of the genus Palystes, the rain spiders.
Acanthogryllus fortipes, or the brown cricket, is a species of cricket from southern Africa. It is mostly dark brown in colour and has a large head. It is a common species in short grass, including artificial habitats such as lawns and fields.
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