Tuesday, 24 April 2018
21-4-2018 OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA - WAVE MOTH (Genus Problepsis)
Problepsis is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae.
Description
Palpi thick scaled and reaching just beyond the frons. Hindleg of male small, tibia dilated with a fold containing a tuft of long hair, where the first joint of tarsus dilated and large. Forewings with vein 3 from, or from before angle of cell. Vein 5 from somewhat above middle of discocellulars. Veins 7, 8, 9 and 10 stalked from before upper angle, and vein 11 anastomosing (fusing) slightly with them to form the areole. Hindwings from, or from before, angle of cell. Vein 5 from somewhat above middle of discocellulars and vein 6 from before upper angle.
Monday, 23 April 2018
Friday, 20 April 2018
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Wednesday, 18 April 2018
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Monday, 16 April 2018
Sunday, 15 April 2018
Friday, 13 April 2018
12-4-2018 VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE - ZULU GIANT (Stapelia gigantea)
tapelia gigantea is a species of flowering plant in the genus Stapelia of the family Apocynaceae. Common names include Zulu giant, carrion plant and toad plant (although the nickname "carrion plant" can also refer to Stapelia grandiflora). The plant is native to the desert regions of South Africa to Tanzania.
Growing up to 20 cm (8 in) tall, it is a clump-forming succulent with erect green stems 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. The blooms are large star-shaped five-petalled flowers up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter. The flowers are red and yellow, wrinkled, with a silky texture and fringed with hairs, that can be as long as 8 mm (0.3 in). They bloom in autumn, triggered by the shorter daylight hours.
The flowers have the smell of rotting flesh, in order to attract the flies which pollinate them. Scent compounds of carrion flowers responsible for their odour include diamines (putrescine and cadaverine), sulfur compounds and various phenolic molecules. Because of the foul odor of its flower, S. gigantea can act as an appetite suppressant in humans.
There have been several proposed reasons for the size of the flowers of S. gigantea. First, it is possible that they are large to attract the flies that pollinate them. The large size and color of the flowers combined with the carrion smell may cause the flies to behave as if it is a dead carcass and be more likely to visit it.
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