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.
