Pollination by nocturnal hawkmoths is considered rare in the hyper-diverse fynbos vegetation, but it is also hard to detect. Here, we present evidence for hawkmoth pollination of an orchid in fynbos vegetation on the Cape Peninsula, where this pollination system has not yet been recorded. Both direct observations and motion-activated camera footage revealed hawkmoths, several of which were identified as Hyles livornica (Esper, 1780), foraging from the long nectar spurs of flowers of Satyrium candidum . Several individuals carried pollinaria, suggesting they are legitimate pollinators. These observations add to a growing number of studies that document interactions between flowers and nocturnal hawkmoths in fynbos, and the presence of a small guild of native sphingophilous plants in fynbos vegetation suggests that hawkmoths must have been present in the region over evolutionary time scales. Although fynbos supports fewer hawkmoth species involved as pollinators compared to other regions, and fewer plant species representing fewer lineages in this vegetation type are known to rely on hawkmoth pollination, further quantitative analyses and field studies are required to evaluate whether hawkmoths represent a less-favored pollination niche for fynbos plants.
The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) has conducted surveys in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, over more than 40 years. The first annotated checklist for the Waterberg District is provided here, along with the global distributions, endemicity and conservation assessments for each species, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. A total of 54 families, 292 genera and 600 species were recorded. The study highlights species of special conservation concern, as well as the nine species endemic to the Waterberg District. Salticidae (95 species), followed by Thomisidae (80 species), Araneidae (53 species) and Gnaphosidae (48 species), are the most species-rich families. In contrast, single species represent 14 families. Most species (546; 91.2%) are widely distributed, with no known threats and are classified as being of Least Concern, whereas 34 species (5.6%) are still listed as Data Deficient. Seven species (1.2%) are of special concern and 11 species were not evaluated due to unresolved taxonomy. The Waterberg District has a rich spider fauna, accounting for 66.3% of the known spider fauna of the Limpopo Province, 25.6% of the total spider fauna of South Africa and with nine species endemic to the District.
Occidentosphena Kevan, 1956 is an Afrotropical grasshopper genus that currently comprises two described species, namely Occidentosphena ruandensis (Rehn, 1914) and Occidentosphena uvarovi (Rehn, 1942). This study reports the first occurrence of O. ruandensis in Cameroon based on specimens collected on Mt. Manengouba. The species was previously known only from the Eastern Afromontane region and Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This new finding significantly expands the known distribution of the genus Occidentosphena into West and Central Africa. We also provide re-descriptions of both species based on material collected in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, and present detailed descriptions of the male genitalia of both taxa for the first time. Additionally, we clarify the diagnostic traits for the two species based on external morphological characters and male genital structures. Overall, our results improve the biogeographical knowledge and taxonomic resolution of this poorly known genus.
All primary (name-bearing) and secondary types (paratypes) of Aegophagamyia and Rhigioglossa within the tribe Bouvieromyiini and Tabanocella within the tribe Rhinomyzini, deposited in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum (KZNM) collection (NMSA) are documented: Aegophagamyia (Triclida) lata Oldroyd, 1963; Mesomyia (Perisilvius) marieps Usher, 1965 [now Rhigioglossa (Perisilvius) marieps (Usher, 1965)]; Mesomyia (Perisilvius) kiboriani Lamerton, 1964 [now Rhigioglossa (Perisilvius) kiboriani (Lamerton, 1964)]; Mesomyia (Perisilvius) tinleyi Usher, 1965 [now Rhigioglossa (Perisilvius) tinleyi (Usher, 1965)]; Rhigioglossa (Mesomyia) munroi Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Mesomyia) smaragdops Manning, 1991; Mesomyia (Perisilvius) argenteus Oldroyd, 1957 [now Rhigioglossa (Perisilvius) argentea (Oldroyd, 1957)]; Rhigioglossa (Perisilvius) lineacallosa Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Pseudoscaptia) flavibasalis Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Pseudoscaptia) milleri Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Rhigioglossa) capensis Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Rhigioglossa) namibiensis Chainey, 1987; Rhigioglossa (Rhigioglossa) nitens Chainey, 1987; Tabanocella micromera Oldroyd, 1963; Tabanocella schofieldi Usher, 1965; Tabanocella stuckenbergi Oldroyd ,1957. The reference to the original publication, including the original name, the type locality and the collector, is provided for each species. In addition, brief remarks and colour photographs are provided. This is the third in a series of publications on the primary types of the Tabanidae of the KZNM.
The Malagasy endemic salticid genus Tomocyrba Simon, 1900 has had only a single contribution to its taxonomy in the last 120 years. Here, we report on a small collection of Tomocyrba from rainforests in the north- east of Madagascar. We describe one new species from Mahimborondro, Tomocyrba ankihiberta sp. nov. (♂♀) and provide a supplementary redescription of the type species Tomocyrba decollata Simon, 1901 based on the first fresh specimens collected in over 120 years.
Sandflies are dipterans of medical significance, well-known for transmitting Leishmania parasite. This study investigated the occurrence, composition and distribution of sandflies. Sandflies were collected for three consecutive nights each week at each sampling point using CDC miniature light traps, sticky traps and manual aspiration. Captured sandflies were morphologically identified, based on head structure and terminalia, following standard keys. A generalised linear model was used to determine the effects of explanatory variables on sandfly abundance. Shannon-wiener and Jaccard’s similarity indices were utilised to calculate species diversity and community similarity, respectively. A total of 586 Phlebotomine sandflies were collected, comprising eight species; Sergentomyia freetownensis (38.74%), Se. antennata (49.49%), Se. schwetzi (4.61%), Se. bedfordi (3.75%), Se. adleri (1.19%), Grassomyia squamipleuris (0.68%), Phlebotomus martini (0.85%) and Ph. vansomerenae (0.68%). Sandfly abundance was significantly influenced by habitat type (X2 = 71.6, df = 2, P < 0.001), altitudinal range (X2 = 46.85, df = 2, P < 0.001), average temperature (X2 = 39.16, df = 1, P < 0.001) and average relative humidity (X2 = 41.03, df = 1, P < 0.001). Sandfly diversity was higher in farmland (H’ = 1.149) and at mid-altitude areas (H’ = 1.079). The presence of competent and susceptible vectors species in the study villages underscores the necessity for surveillance, including vectorial capacity and bloodmeal sources as fundamental factors in incriminating the vector in areas considered non-endemic.
The male of Ropalidia chromis Polasek, 2024 is described herein, elucidating its distinctive phylogenetic and morphological characteristics. Supplementary distribution records and nesting data are provided for several African Ropalidia species, contributing to the understanding of their biogeography and ecology. Additionally, Ropalidia mutuntula nom. nov. is introduced as a replacement name for Ropalidia flavoscutellata Polasek, 2025, to resolve taxonomic ambiguities.
Litter ant communities constitute an important component of biodiversity in tropical regions. They are currently used in several ecosystem management programmes to assess forest health. The aim of this study was to uncover the ant diversity across forest successional stages (fallow land, secondary forest and primary forest) in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These habitats were sampled at six localities using pitfall traps and Winkler extractions. In total, 190 ant species belonging to 50 genera and eight subfamilies were recorded in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve. Ant diversity increased significantly along the successional gradient, being lowest in fallow land, intermediate in secondary forest, and highest in primary forest. Sixty ant species were shared across all three habitats, while each habitat supported a distinct assemblage of species. Primary forests contained the greatest number of exclusive species, followed by secondary forests and fallow land. Winkler extractors captured substantially more ant species than pitfall traps, recording nearly 50% greater species richness. However, a significant portion of the ant fauna in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve likely remains unrecorded, and additional sampling methods (like arboreal traps, net sweeping and baiting) could provide a more complete picture of its biodiversity.
The genus Acnephalomyia Londt, 2010 (Diptera, Asilidae, Willistonininae) is reviewed in the southern Namib Desert. Currently, seven species of Acnephalomyia are recognised from Namibia and South Africa. In the southern Namib Desert, there are four Acnephalomyia species recorded to date: Acnephalomyia andrenoides (Wiedemann, 1828), Acnephalomyia eremia Londt, 2010, Acnephalomyia iota Londt, 2010 and Acnephalomyia platygaster (Loew, 1858). One new species, Acnephalomyia metallicoindica sp. nov. from the northern parts of the southern Namib Desert, is described and the single paratype of Acnephalomyia iota known from Namibia is assigned to this species, restricting A. iota to the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Acnephalomyia eremia is recorded with several additional collecting events in the southern Namib Desert, extending its range significantly. Distribution, biology, occurrence in biodiversity hotspots sensu Conservation International and seasonal imago flight activity are discussed for each species. Diagnoses, photographs, specimen occurrence data and an identification key to species are provided with the new species described in detail. Online resources to the original descriptions or re-descriptions and an illustrated dichotomous identification key are provided and all specimen images are uploaded to a dedicated image repository. The southern Namib Desert is chiefly outlined by the Namib-Naukluft National Park and adjacent areas to the east using nature reserves and roads to delimit the study area more precisely. The knowledge of Diptera, Asiloidea species and important early collectors of specimens (including the museum depository), especially at the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, is summarised. An updated key to the Asilidae genera of the Afrotropical Region, to include all species of Acnephalomyia, is provided. Both keys are made available online on the Lucid Keyserver.
Leishmaniasis, an anthropozoonotic infection transmitted to humans and animals through female sandfly bite, is endemic in the far north region of Cameroon, which currently lacks a control programme. This study aimed to assess the occurrence and monthly distribution of sandflies in Kousseri County, a region with reported cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), to provide data needed for combatting the disease. Sandfly occurrence was evaluated by monthly deployment of six CDC light traps over a twelve-month period (from September 2020 to August 2021) in urban, peri-urban and rural ecotopes. Our survey collected 4,214 sandflies, including 51.02% females. The highest abundance of sandflies was recorded in the rural areas (43.43%, n = 1830) and in January during the dry season (16.22%, n = 679). Ten sand fly species from the Sergentomyia genus Franca and Parrot 1920 and one species of the Phlebotomus genus Rondani and Berté 1840 were identified. The monthly dynamics of the collected female sandflies varied markedly: Se. antennata Newstead, 1912, the most prevalent species and Se. squamipleuris Newstead, 1912 showed unimodal peaks in January and February, respectively; Se. schwetzi Adler, Theodor & Parrot, 1929 exhibited a trimodal pattern with a major peak in September; Se. distincta followed a bimodal trend with peaks in January and May. The aforementioned sandfly species were present throughout the study period, while other species displayed variable and intermittent presence. Ph. duboscqi, the sole known vector of leishmaniasis in this study, was absent in January and July, but peaked in September, representing only 1.07% of the total catch. The Shannon–Wiener index was high (H > 1) in all the collected ecotopes and months, indicating high evenness and Simpson indices. Overall, the findings suggest that sandflies are active year-round in Kousseri, with elevated abundance during the dry season, particularly in January and March. The presence of animal shelters surrounding houses, vegetation (primarily rice paddies) and building conditions with unplastered, fissured mud walls likely favour a high abundance of sandflies in rural areas in Kousseri. These findings highlight the need of optimising surveillance and intervention strategies, especially in rural settings and during months when sandflies are more active. Further studies on climatic and environmental factors affecting sandfly distribution, as well as investigations into their feeding habits and Leishmania infection rates, are crucial for enhancing disease control in the region.
This study lists a total of 13 species of Atherigona Rondani, 1856 from Angola, 9 of which were previously recorded: Atherigona (Atherigona) bedfordi van Emden, 1940; Atherigona (Atherigona) campestris Deeming, 1971; Atherigona (Acritochaeta) cogani Deeming, 1981; Atherigona (Atherigona) laevigata (Loew, 1852); Atherigona (Atherigona) lineata ssp. lineata (Adams, 1905); Atherigona (Atherigona) lineata ssp. ugandae van Emden, 1940; Atherigona (Atherigona) matilei Deeming, 1977; Atherigona (Atherigona) mirabilis ssp. mirabilis Deeming, 1971; Atherigona (Acritochaeta) orientalis Schiner, 1868; and Atherigona (Atherigona) ruficornis Stein, 1913. One previously described species, Atherigona (Atherigona) albistyla Deeming, 1971, has now been added as a new record. Three species are newly described: Atherigona (Atherigona) adelinahae Magoai, sp. nov., Atherigona (Atherigona) angolaensis Magoai, sp. nov., and Atherigona (Atherigona) cuanavaleensis Magoai, sp. nov. A key to the males of Atherigona species is provided, along with brief generic diagnoses of the new species and illustrations of most Angolan species.
The Afrotropical spider fly genus Africaterphis Schlinger, 1968 (Acroceridae, Philopotinae) is revised, including the description of Africaterphis stefanfoordi sp. nov., bringing the total number of species in the genus to three.
Stegopterus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 is a Trichiini genus endemic to the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Until now, it has been regarded as comprising only four species, namely S. vittatus (Fabricius, 1775), S. suturalis (Gory & Percheron, 1833), S. septus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 and S. obesus Burmeister, 1842. Our study of historical specimens housed in museums and private collections, along with new specimens collected recently, has revealed that there are at least 15 species in this genus of which 11 are new, with S. obesus relegated to incertae sedis (see updated species list below). What is most interesting is that the genus has radiated within a rather restricted region, between the South and West coasts and the Cape Fold Mountains (CFM). This reflects a typical Fynbos distribution, similar to that already described for other insect groups. On the basis of synapomorphy, Stegopterus has now been subdivided into two species groups, namely “vittatus” and “septus.” In this work, 11 new species are described, diagnosed and illustrated, and their geographic distributions are mapped: Stegopterus agulhassp. nov., S. cochraneaesp. nov., S. endroedyisp. nov., S. fuscussp. nov., S. hexrivierisp. nov., S. kromrivierisp. nov., S. lamellussp. nov., S. langebergicussp. nov., S. pallidulussp. nov., S. paardebergisp. nov., S. rotundicepssp. nov. A key for accurately identifying species of Stegopterus is provided. Lectotypes are designated for the following species: S. septus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840, Trichius suturalis Gory & Percheron, 1833 (now S. suturalis) and Cetonia vittata Fabricius, 1775 (now S. vittatus).
A Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP) for non-canopy spiders was used to collect replicate samples from four lowland rainforest sites for a proof-of-concept comparison of spider assemblages from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (hereafter, Congo) and Panama. Collecting was done at two 0.25 ha sites in Panama and two 0.25 ha sites in Congo. At each site, three 0.01 ha plots were randomly located, and within each we did 1 person-hour of aerial sampling (sweeping and beating/brushing) and two person-hours of ground sampling (field sieving of leaf litter). The samples yielded 350 adult spiders belonging to 29 spider families. The Panama samples yielded more adult spiders (235 vs. 115) and more spider families (24 vs. 14) than the Congo samples. Overall, the dominant five spider families in these non-canopy samples were Theridiidae (24%), Salticidae (15%), Linyphiidae (11%), Oonopidae (10%), and Pholcidae (7%), with the 20 remaining families each making up less than 5% of the total adults. The three most abundant families in Congo were Theridiidae, Oonopidae, and Thomisidae, while the top three in Panama were Salticidae, Theridiidae, and Linyphiidae. An NMDS ordination analysis of the four plots failed to show significant differences between any of the four assemblages, but when the plots were analyzed by region, there was a significant difference in the family-level assemblages between the continents. This paper shows proof-of-concept that this RAP can produce statistically valid data from brief sampling trips by teams with inexperienced collectors and simple, inexpensive sampling equipment.
All primary (name-bearing) and secondary types (paratypes) of Bartolomeudiasiella, Cydistomyia and Limata within the tribe Diachlorini and Hybomitra, Tabanus and Therioplectes within the tribe Tabanini, deposited in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum (NMSA) are documented: Cydistomyia (Amanella) cooksoni Usher, 1965; Cydistomyia (Amanella) grayi (Oldroyd, 1957), comb. nov.; Cydistomyia (Amanella) ignota Usher, 1965; Cydistomyia (Amanella) ingridina Usher, 1965; Cydistomyia (Amanella) shaka Usher, 1970; Cydistomyia (Amanella) zimbiti Usher, 1970; Limata kuhnelti Usher, 1967 [now Bartolomeudiasiella kuhnelti (Usher, 1967)]; Limata miranda Usher, 1968; Limata parafacialis Oldroyd, 1957; Tabanus crocodilinus Austen, 1912; Tabanus flavicoxa Usher, 1954; Tabanus nefas Usher, 1971; Tabanus postacutus Oldroyd, 1947; Tabanus saxicolus Usher, 1965 [now Hybomitra saxicolus (Usher, 1965)]; Therioplectes zumpti (Dias, 1956). The reference to the original publication, including the original name, the type locality and the collector, is provided for each species. In addition, brief remarks and colour photographs are provided. This is the second in a series of publications on the primary types of the Tabanidae of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum.
The Bombyliidae genera Enica Macquart, 1834 and Nomalonia Rondani, 1863, restricted to South Africa, are synonymized. Currently, one species of Enica is known from South Africa, Enica longirostris (Wiedemann, 1819), and six Nomalonia species are newly combined with Enica: Enica clavicornis (Hesse, 1956), comb. nov.; Enica eremophila, (Hesse, 1975), comb. nov.; Enica henicoides (Hesse, 1956), comb. nov.; Enica imitata (Hesse, 1956), comb. nov.; Enica sporanthera (Hesse, 1956), comb. nov.; and Enica syrticola (Hesse, 1956), comb. nov. A new species, Enica adelphe sp. nov. from the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape of South Africa, is described. All Enica species are redescribed and a dichotomous key with photographic references is provided for ease of identification. Specimen occurrence data and photographs are provided for each species. Each species of Enica occurs in at least one of three biodiversity hotspots in South Africa, i.e., Succulent Karoo, Cape Floristic Region, and Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany, with E. longirostris occurring in all three.
Lepidoptera are known to alter their behaviour and phenology in response to climatic conditions. Understanding these responses is important for the conservation of Lepidoptera species, especially those that are not widely distributed. Individuals of Dira clytus clytus, a South African endemic butterfly with a distribution in the southern parts of the country, were reared in captivity from the egg phase to the adult phase, to observe behaviour and phenology in the various life stages. Life history stages concurred with previous observations made on this subspecies, but additional photographs are presented for the various phases. There are clearly two pupal, and thus adult emergence, phases in spring and early summer. Four batches of eggs resulted from these adults, and the larvae from these eggs were also reared although none of them survived to the pupation phase. The timing of the two pupal phases was compared to climatic variables (temperature and rainfall) and it was found that pupation followed soon after cold temperature. This is indicative that D. c. clytus can change its phenology and voltinism in response to climatic conditions, which may allow for plasticity in responding to climate change. However, more research is required to understand how climate change would impact this endemic species.
As part of ongoing revisions of the Afrotropical Trachelidae, four new genera are described from southern Africa: Foordanagen. nov., with F. distinctasp. nov. from South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape) as the type species, F. flavipodasp. nov. from the Free State, F. kasougasp. nov. from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and a fourth undescribed species from Zimbabwe; the monotypic Mushimanegen. nov., with M. tswibilinkisp. nov. from KwaZulu-Natal as the type species; Namaquellagen. nov., with N. aridasp. nov. from the Northern Cape as the type species and N. samanthaesp. nov. from the Western Cape; and Rukulukgen. nov. from South Africa, with R. gramineussp. nov. from the Northern Cape as the type species and a second undescribed species from KwaZulu-Natal known only from juveniles.
Forest restoration often involves monitoring programmes to determine whether biodiversity levels and ecosystem services have changed over time. This study investigated changes in ground-hunting spider communities (families Ctenidae, Lycosidae and Zodariidae) in an actively restored forest, an unrestored gravel mine, and two alternative land-use types (agroforestry system and an arable field) to assess whether a two-decade post-mine restoration programme has been successful in restoring biodiversity to levels of a reference natural forest. The overall activity density of ground-hunting spiders (based on both juveniles and adult specimens) was highest in the natural and the restored forest in the dry season and lowest in the arable field and agroforestry system in the wet season. The inverse Simpson index was highest at the gravel site in the wet season, followed by natural forest in both seasons and lower values in the restored forest. The community composition of spiders differed significantly between land-use types (open versus forest habitats) and the interaction between land use and season also differed significantly. The species Pardosa injucunda and Trochosa gentilis dominated the communities in the restored forest, but Africactenus monitor dominated the natural forest and Hogna gratiosa dominated communities in the gravel site. Surprisingly, active forest restoration promoted the activity density of ground-hunting spiders displaced by mining activities to levels even higher than in the reference natural forest after two decades. However, the community composition of the restored forest was more similar to the agroforestry system than to the natural forest. These results highlight the benefits of restoring former mining sites but also show the trade-offs in terms of restoration goals, as natural forest biodiversity of spiders was not achieved after 20 years.
A new species of the genus Chumma Jocqué, 2001, C. foordisp. nov., is described from the Western Cape, South Africa. New distribution records for C. bicolor Jocqué & Alderweireldt, 2018, C. foliata Jocqué & Alderweireldt, 2018 and C. gastroperforata Jocqué, 2001 are presented. The genus is recorded from the Northern Cape Province for the first time, extending its range extensively to the northwest by approximately 450 km. The distribution of all Chumma species is mapped.
