Butterflies of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds
Butterflies of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds

Author: Herbert Otto

Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa

Published: 2014-07-23

Total Pages: 474

ISBN-13: 1775841685

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Butterflies of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds enables identification of these colourful creatures and hopes to promote general interest in the natural world. A lavish and fascinating introduction raises topics such as classification of Lepidoptera, butterfly behavior, names, biology and life cycle, flower adaptations, larval host plants, etc. Each family is first described, then the subfamily, followed by the genus and finally the species. Each of the known KNP butterfly species is dealt with on its own page, with its common and scientific names, life history, etymology and larval host plants. On the opposite page is a gallery of photographs of the butterfly in its environment, often complemented with life cycle and larval host plant photographs. A distribution map is provided for each butterfly species, with red dots indicating KNP rest camps where the butterfly is found, and a pie chart showing the butterfly’s status – how rare or how common it is.

Nannomecoptera and Neomecoptera
Nannomecoptera and Neomecoptera

Author: Rolf G. Beutel

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2019-09-23

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 3110272547

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Nannochoristidae (=Nannomecoptera) and Boreidae (=Neomecoptera) are traditionally assigned to the holometabolan Order Mecoptera. Both are presently in the focus of insect systematists. They differ strikingly from the "typical" mecopteran pattern, not only in their larval and adult morphology, but also in their life style and reproductive biology. Phylogenetic affinities between Boreidae ("snow fleas") and fleas were postulated mainly based on molecular data, and morphological characters related to food uptake and larval features suggest a close relationship between Nannochoristidae and true flies. Both groups display fascinating features such as preferred temperatures around 0°C, extremely slender larvae adapted to running water, and a highly unusual mating behaviour. Despite of the extremely low number of known species, there is no doubt that both groups are key taxa and in their own way highlights in the evolution of the extremely successful Holometabola. This and an impressive number of recent studies on various aspects of Nannochoristidae and Boreidae more than justifies a new volume in the series Handbook of Zoology dedicated to these highly unusual taxa.