Beetles

photograph by Greg Morgan

Firefly (Lampyridae luciola) Male with
light producing organ on the last 2 segments
of the abdomen.

Female glow worm larvae (Family Lampyridae) 
Only male glow worms fly. The females rest on vegetation and glow to attract the males.
The larvae are predatory on snails. Found on Park Island March 2007.

photograph by Greg Morgan

Common Tiger Beetle (Lophyra brevicollis) Common on sandy areas near water.

photograph by Greg Morgan

Green Bacon Clerid (Exkorynetes [Coronytes] analis) Eat pollen and nectar. Also feed on animal products and carion.

Predacious Gaint Diving Beetle (Coleoptera) Their larvae are fierce predators like their parents. There are over 3500 species in the world. They carry air supplies under their wing cases. Found at Clement Park in Sept 2008.

                                                         photograph by Greg Morgan

Lunate Ladybird (Cheilomenes lunata) Adults and larvae. They are predatory on aphids.

Stripped Monkey beetle (Heterochelus              Spider Monkey Beetle (Lepithrix psuedolineata)
chiriagricus) Males black with yellow strpes         Active flier with fine golden hairs on underside.
with stromg hind legs. Found in succulent
Karoo and dry fynbos.

photograph by Greg Morgan

Oval Hairy Monkey Beetle (Peritrichia cinerea)
About 9mm long matt black with long soft greyish
brown and black hairs.

Spotted Tortoise Beetle (Conchyloctenia punctata) feeds on morning glory and fig trees.

Dune Tortoise Beetle (Aspidomorpha puncticosta) feeds mainly on the leaves of potatoe, tomato and morning glory plants.

Garden Fruit Chaffer  (Pachnoda sinuata) Adults feed on flowers and fruit. Larvae are found in a cocoon - like hard mud cell in compost heaps.

photograph by Greg Morgan

Common Dotted Fruit Chaffer (Cyrtothyrea marginalis)
Adults attracted to Arum lilies, about 9mm long.

                                                                               photograph by Greg Morgan

Rounded Toktokkie  (Moluris psuedonitida)           Striped Toktokkie (Psammodes striatus)
is ground dwelling feeding on dead plant or                 Has longditudinal reddish brown lines on the elytra.
animal remains.

Tabacco slug eggs laid on the leaf of a Cape Gooseberry.

The larva carries its excretment around on its back as a defence mechanism. On the right is one not so loaded up.

Tabacco slug beetle (Lema trilineata) feed mainly on nightshade plants, such as Cape Gooseberry (which is not indigenous to the Cape but from South America).  

Lunate Blister Beetle (Decapotoma lunata) feed on flowers of fruit trees peas, cotton, beans and other vegetables.