What a wonderful find! - Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Hawk moth caterpillar in a pot of Arum Lilies, now stripped of their leaves - Pic taken in my daughter's garden in Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

This is the caterpillar of the Hawk moth, (family Sphingidae), also called sphinx moth or hummingbird moth, sitting on the left-over stalk of an Arum Lily. Butterflies and moths, as innocent as they appear, have a definite sting in the tail. To enjoy their intricate colours, their delicate dips and swings across the sun-kissed garden and their evening hovering among scented blooms, we have to live with their myriad off-spring which chomp, chew and generally deface our carefully tended plants, shrubs and trees.

Silver-striped Hawk moth (pic from "Butterfly conservation")

One of the most voracious of these is the caterpillar of the Hawk Moth, which can strip a plant of all its leaves in a matter of days. The Arum lily is one of the host plants for Hippotion celerio, commonly known as the Silver-striped Hawk Moth or Grape Vine Hawk Moth. This is an exceptionally handsome, neat looking moth with a wingspan of 76 mm and longitudinal pale brown and olive-brown stripes along the body and wings. The Arum lily is one of the host plants for this moth. These moths are widespread and abundant in Africa, breeding along the North and East coast and subsequently colonising southern Europe.

Hawk moth caterpillar in a pot of Arum Lilies, now stripped of their leaves - Pic taken in my daughter's garden in Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

This resident moth flashes reddish-brown patches on under-wings if disturbed. The wings can sometimes have a pinkish/purplish tinge. Adult, with a wingspan of 6.5 - 9cm, can be seen flying between May and early August.

Hawk Moth caterpillars are medium to large in size, with stout bodies and five pairs of legs. Usually the hawk moth caterpillars’ bodies lack any hairs (he/she was beautifully smooth to the touch!, and most species have a ‘horn’ at the posterior end (seen in the top photograph). Many are greens and browns, and have counter-shading patterns that help to conceal them. 

Female hawk moths lay translucent greenish, flattened, smooth eggs about the size of a tomato pip. These are usually laid singly on host plants and take between 3 to 21 days to develop. Most species are capable of producing several generations each year if weather conditions suitable.

The eggs hatch out into pale green caterpillars about a centimeter long. They hide under the leaves during the day but eat ravenously and grow at an alarming rate at night. As they grow their colour darkens darkens slightly and they lie along the upper stem of the arum where they blend perfectly.

A week or so later the teeny, cute little green caterpillar will be  staunch 7 or 8 centimeters long, turn brown and descend to the base of the plant where once again it will blend perfectly with its surroundings. Here it may spend the day in hiding, creeping up during the night to continue its depredations.

Next morning - Hawk moth caterpillar resting on the edge of the plant pot

The damage to the arum lilies was the loss of their leaves which admittedly hindered their growth but they recover. To save your Arums, visit them regularly and check for eaten leaves and along the stems, where you will find the culprits.

Before you go on the rampage, consider the results of your actions.

So now it's up to you. You may decide to pick off and destroy both the eggs and the caterpillars, but bear the results of this action in mind: birds will find less food in your garden and may leave to find food elsewhere, night blooming flowers will not be pollinated and bats will be deprived of a protein packed 'snack on the wing'.

Although appearing delicate, the eggs are surprisingly strong and difficult to crush.

This Pic from Kumbulu Nursery

I'm missing my Nature Journal...

I'm really missing "my" Nature ... I'm missing my old garden and "my" birds and all the little mammals and insects I used to interact with. I miss my wildlife pond, I miss my potting shed and I miss digging and getting my hands dirty in the soil. I miss my early-morning walks in "my" bluegum bush and I miss identifying the various weeds I used to see coming up among the rolling fields of Eragrostis (Weeping love grass). I miss Mollie ("my" resident Mole Snake in my garden) and I miss the flocks of Guinea fowl and unexpectedly coming upon Hedgehogs and tortoises passing through our property.

I miss my various "useless" collections like feathers, terracotta pots, my succulent and cactus collection, twigs and leaves, seeds, fallen birds' nests, various droppings from little buck passing by (yes, I used to collect their droppings!), stones, pebbles and rocks, small rodent and reptile skeletons I used to find on my walks and I dearly miss my Chooks - Snoodles, Kiep, Chi-Chi, Kentucky, Micky, Missy and Mr. Brown. The only chickens I have seen in 18 months are those when we had coffee at Burnedale Farm and Restaurant here in Ballito when we went there for breakfast.

And I hear you you asking, so why don't you collect and dig in the soil and discover new things on your early-morning walks? The answer is simple - I have not had a garden for the past 18 months (luckily that is soon to change) and I've spent my time exploring vistas like the ones above and below.

I'm slowly starting to identify with the trees and plants of the coast, like the beautiful Fever Trees (Vallechia xanthaphloe, above, one of the beloved thorn Trees I never managed to get growing in my previous garden because it was too cold, this is decidedly a coastal and hot climate tree.

I have also managed to establish a new little succulent collection and some of them will find a home in the ground in our new place we are moving to. And in the pipeline is a whole new collection of terracotta pots!

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Hadeda Ibis - Bostrychia hagedash

The Hadeda is famous for being South Africa’s natural alarm clock. I'm sure everybody will agree with that. When we lived in Gauteng on our smallholding, we rarely saw any Hadedas, so the excitement was great when they did appear. Here in Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, it's a totally different story - their numbers seem to be on a par (to me at least) to that of the Indian Mynah and the Red-winged Starling. 

And I am utterly thrilled to be seeing them in such abundance! And I just absolutely LOVE their call, but must admit that I prefer to be woken up by the Burchell's Cuckoo soothing call and not the hart-stopping call of the Hadeda at 4am in the morning!

Usually at 4.30am !!

 

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Pest, charming oddity or just background noise, the Hadeda ibis is a feathered phenomenon in suburban South Africa. Its feathers are a drab gray or brown, so it's not on a bird lover bucket list. But the bird now has a small niche in popular culture. Somelodges and restaurants carry its name, a website offers a ringtone download of its cry and a pair of South African musicians produced a song called: "Harry the hungry Hadeda." Some call it a "flying vuvuzela," recalling the din of the plastic horn used by stadium fans during the World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa in 2010.

 

The Hadeda or Hadeda Ibis,is an ibis found in Sub-Saharan Africa. . It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. While Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) is not a conservation listed species, it is protected under provincial regs. Hadeda Ibis is protected in all but one province, namely KZN. The species is threatened, though, by extended droughts which reduce food availability by causing damp soil to harden, making it more difficult to probe for insects. The population in South Africa also declined markedly at the turn of the century due to hunting during the colonial expansion.

The Hadeda Ibis is monogamous and breeds in solitary pairs, unlike other ibis species. They breed from July to January in South Africa. They lay 1 to 5 eggs which are incubated by both parents. Incubation lasts up to 28 days. Young are independent at about 40 days.
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  Males display before choosing a mate. The pair then engages in mutual bowing and display preening.  

The Hadeda Ibis is a social bird usually seen in pairs or in small groups of between 5 and 30 birds, and seldom as a single individual. Occasionally it can form flocks of some 50-200 individuals. They feeds on insects, millipedes and earthworms, using their long scimitar-like bill to probe soft soil. It also eats larger insects, such as the Parktown prawn, as well as spiders and small lizards. Sometimes it swipes dog food meant for pets, splatters parked cars and driveways with droppings and yanks residents from sleep with jarring squawks at first light.

Some ornithologists credit the Hadeda's dietary preferences with curbing the population of the "Parktown Prawn," a king cricket (Libanasidus vittatus) named after a Johannesburg suburb that can creep or leap into homes at night, horrifying residents. The Hadeda, in turn, has few natural predators in cities, facing instead the lesser peril of flying into windows or getting hit by a car.  Although totally harmless, the insects can jump actively and often eject offensive black fecal liquids when threatened. Accordingly, they frighten nervous persons and they may chew carpets and fabrics. 

You may love 'em or hate 'em, but this striking African bird is surrounded by many ancient legends and myths. One myth tells of how the northern bald ibis, Geronticus eremita, a symbol of fertility in some regions of Turkey, was one of the first birds that Noah released from the Ark.

As a lexophile (logophile?), I was pleased to learn that the plural of ibis is not "ibises" as most people would guess it to be, but instead, the plural is either ibes or even more interesting; ibides. 

Adieu, Not Goodbye

People may enter our lives through many different doors -
Some stay forever, while others only pause.
Did they happen here by chance? Or was it really fate?
Their impact is not always known until a later date.

Some accept the loss, while others continue to feel pain -
We need to reflect on the positive, in order to see the gain.
Our children leave eventually and go their separate way;
After having explored a bit they might come back some day.

 Often we will connect with that special love or friend -
It could last forever or have an unjust end.
A sudden departure may signal a change has just occurred;
It may trigger sadness and leave our vision blurred.

Understand that sometimes separations might be for the best -
True love and friendship can endure emotion's greatest test.
Just say Adieu for today, there is no need for blame -
special people will remember more than just your name ...

Should they not return, understand they still may care -
Remember, life is always changing, not everything is fair.
                       
~ Robert Beau

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Saying goodbye to the old year is actually saying hello to the new year. And in this year ahead of us, we will meet new people, we will experience triumph and failure and we will love and hate. But most of all, we will live our daily lives as before, maybe better, if we can remember to tread softly on this earth, respect all living creatures and most of all, teach our children to respect all living creatures.

Happy New Year 2019

You may have had some really good memories about the past one, but you never know what’s the new one is bringing for you. Its time to be hopeful, have new dreams and connect with each other and make new year wishes. Its time to move on and embrace what’s new.

New year means a lot of new dreams and new achievements. People throughout the world anticipate eagerly for this time of year to celebrate the memories they made in the past year and to welcome the new one. Hope you are excited about the new year that’s soon to be taking place, and here's wishing you JOY, LOVE and INSPIRATION for 2019!

Christmas in Africa 2018

A bit of festive fun with one of my sketches - The CAPE GLOSSY STARLING (Lamprotornis nitens) having a wonderful festive season with his friend Tweetie in my garden!

Starling to Tweetie : Have you heard Tweetie? Maree has already bought all our presents! Suet, peanuts, minced meat, mealworms, wild birdseed, mixed birdseed, apples, bananas, paw paw and peanut butter!

• A Merry African Christmas and a stunning 2018 to all my blogging friends!

Listen to the whispers of the wind this Christmas

Listen to the whispers of the wind this Christmas. They carry a message of love, peace, hope and happiness for you.

Spotted in my garden

A few things spotted in my garden in the months just before the sale of our smallholding.

 AfricanSkink

Black Headed Heron 

Black Headed Heron taking flight

Red Toad (Schismaderma carens) at my wildlife pond (Rooiskurwepadda)

Speckled Pigeon (RockDove)

White Browed Sparrow Weaver

A fitting farewell to my Gauteng garden, which I am sorely missing, but new explorations are beckoning here in KwaZulu Natal (South Africa).

My Kiepersol died!

My Kiepersol (Cabbage tree - Cussonia paniculata) is dead. Yea, dead.

The first signs were leaves drying out and then all the leaves dropping to the ground every day - and large gouges in the trunk of the tree. Like some animal has been eating the bark. But there are no large animals in my garden. So that was not the problem.

Then, a couple of weeks later, I discovered that I had a Ground Squirrel living in my garden.

(I did not manage to get a photo of him, this one is from Google)

Ground squirrels are primarily herbivorous, and their diet changes with the season. After emerging from hibernation, they feed almost exclusively on green grasses and herbaceous plants. When annual plants begin to dry and produce seed, squirrels switch to seeds, grains, nuts and roots, and begin to store food. They are a bit bigger than a large rat with a fluffy tail and are regarded as troublesome rodent pests for many home gardeners.
Although ground squirrels look similar to tree squirrels and can climb trees, when frightened they generally will retreat to their burrow, and I did find his burrow under all the ferns surrounding my Kiepersol.

So I concluded that he was the culprit causing the early demise of my lovely Cabbage Tree...

My Kiepersol in better days...

A beautiful, large Kiepersol which I photographed at the Randfontein Private Hospital (Gauteng, South Africa) in 2017.

A (Tongue-in-Cheek) Comprehensive Guide to Yellow Stripey Things

Having a backyard means getting out to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air with family and friends. Braaiing (barbequeing), lounging by the pool, planting flowers in the garden, etc. However,what usually comes with beautiful nature and fresh air, is the variety of insects and more particularly, BEES! The spring, summer and early autumn is a busy time for this wide variety of yellow stripey things. Bumblebee, Dirt Dauber, Cicada Killer, Yellow Jacket, etc … Cicada Killer? Who knew there were so many different kinds (but you just gotta love 'em all!) …where are they lurking? and are they dangerous? Let’s find out…

Carpenter Bee

Acts like it’s hot shit, but can’t actually hurt you – Has no concept of what glass is – Lives in your fence – Flies aggressively to try to scare you away.

These guys are primary pollinators and frequent visitors to suburban flowerbeds! When threatened, they show aggression by hovering in front of people/faces, but rarely sting. In fact, in many species of carpenter bees, the males have no stinger at all. The only real threat they pose is to wood structures because carpenter bees do not live in nests or colonies. They bore into wood and tend to prefer decaying or weathered wood, as opposed to new or painted wood.

Honeybee

 

Is the bee that needs help the most – Excellent pollinator – Very friendly – Can only sting once.

These little guys are not usually a threat – they’re just looking for nectar to make honey. A hive, however, should be dealt with especially if it’s too close to your home. If you have a bee colony you want to get rid of, an exterminator is NOT the best answer! Instead, contact a bee removal expert who can capture the queen and put the colony to good use! Honeybees rarely sting unless provoked (usually if they feel the colony is threatened) Honey bees can only sting once and then die shortly after.

Bumblebee

Also pollinates stuff really well – So fat it shouldn’t be able to fly – Will let you pet it without getting agitated – Actually a flying panda!

These slow flyers are often seen visiting flowers in a garden. Most of these fuzzy, oversized bees are black and yellow, though some also have a tint of orange. Bumblebees live in small colonies, and they defend their nests quickly by stinging and pursuing threats to save their hives. They build their nests out of pollen clumps, usually in the ground or a dense grass clump. Their stings are known to be painful -however, they rarely sting while rummaging in flowers, just in defense.

Hoverfly

 

Wears yellow stripey uniform to scare you – Actually can’t do anything to you – Hangs out in fields – Follows you if it likes you.

Hoverflies look like small bees and wasps. They are the helicopters of the insect world, often seen hovering in the air, darting a short distance, and then hovering again. The hoverfly doesn’t have a sting in its tail and is completely harmless. Their bright color is to trick predators, (and you!) into thinking they can sting.

Paper Wasp

Looks scary but will only attack if provoked – Sting hurts like hell – Will chase you if you swat at it – Has no concept of your personal space!

Paper wasps feed on nectar and insects, which technically make them a beneficial insect! They will rarely sting unless you get to close to their umbrella-shaped open-face nests. Nests are often found hanging from twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, as well as porch ceilings, door frames, eaves, deck floor joints, etc. Their sting is known to be more painful than honeybee stings and can produce reactions in those allergic to their venom.

Yellow Jacket

Wants your food and will fight you for it – Never leaves you alone – Will sting you just for the hell of it – Is just an asshole!

These are highly aggressive insects! They develop large colonies that are intensely defended. As a result, people can be swarmed in a matter of minutes, often getting stung hundreds of times. These insects are especially fond of hunting in and around trash piles and garbage cans. They are a common invader to outdoor picnics! This still doesn't mean you should kill them, just flee!

Cicada Killer

Looks like satan's nightmares – Exclusively eats cicadas – Can sting you but usually won’t – Still pretty terrifying.

Cicada killers are only threatening if … well, if you’re a cicada. The cicada killer is a solitary type of wasp that’s often mistaken for a hornet. They’re most commonly found hunting cicadas in trees or burrowing in soft ground. Although the females have stingers, they usually reserve it for cicadas. Female cicada killers will only attack humans if they are provoked.

Dirt Dauber

 

Almost never stings anything unless it's a spider – Builds nests in the ground – Hoards spiders in said nests – Coolest looking of the wasps.

Daubers are solitary insects most known for their habit of building nests out of the mud. They are capable of stinging, however unlikely to do so – even when disturbed (aaaaaw!). They’re not aggressive, and they do not defend their nests as social wasps do.

However, if you do get stung, you can find out what to do HERE.