Acacia

The Acacias have cropped up in previous posts, and will again, being the food plant of many butterflies, and used by all sorts of insects, browsers and even us humans for stock feed and fuel. With the recent splitting of the genus, an emotionally charged debate has developed. Africa is in very real danger of losing its iconic genus name Acacia to the Australian wattles. It seems Australia is pleading numbers and Africa taxonomic priority. I thought the latter prevails in taxonomic tradition. I can't really see myself referring to Africa's "Senegalia savannahs."
I am not quite sure of the sp. in this picture, it is probably A. Karroo. In Januaries our hillsides are sometimes yellow with these blossom. The grasshopper is an incidental feeder.

Heniocha apollonia

I came across this magnificent pair of mating moths at Bisley NR. Thanks again to "What's that Bug" for help with the identification. It it probably H. apollonia, our Southern Marbled Emperor. As in the previous posting it is one of the Saturniidae or Emperor moths. BOLD systems has a lovely showcase of the 12 Heniochus spp. I recall seeing that one of the the food plants is Acacia karroo, but couldn't confirm it. Any help?

Epiphora (mythimnia)

It was the middle of summer when I found this remarkably and beautifully coloured caterpillar on the forest floor of the KZN-NBG. I really didn't know what it was, but then found the identification in that remarkable site What's That Bug? Thank you Daniel Marlos. It is the White-ringed Atlas Moth. I have never seen the adult. (There are apparently three spp. of Epiphora in Southern Africa.) Its food plants include Croton sylvaticus and (as in my last few posts) Ziziphus mucronata. Both these trees are commonly found in the Gardens.

Ziziphus mucronata

Ziziphus mucronata, the Buffalo Thorn. The Afrikaans name for this tree is Blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie is so apt. This translated is: "Blinkblaar": the shiny leaves can make this tree stand out from amongst other trees; "Wag-'n-bietjie": wait a bit, you are caught up in the hook thorns. It is quite a common tree here, this photograph taken at Cumberland in early winter.
It is a food plant Zintha hintza, Tarucus sybaris, Tuxentius melaena, and T calice. as well as our Atlas Moth (Epiphora.)

Zintha hintza

The Hintza Pierrrot. The top picture was taken in our garden, and the bottom, a female in the KZN-NBG. The butterfly is monotypic: the genus Hintza Eliot 1973 has the single species hintza. It is similar and possibly related to the Tarucus and Tuxentius butterflies with which it also shares the same food plants, Ziziphus spp.
 

Tarucus sybaris

I photographed this Dotted Blue at Cumberland, but have also found it at at Bisley.
One of the food plants is Ziziphus mucronota. The Afrikaans name for this tree is Blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie is so apt. This translated is: "Blinkblaar": the shiny leaves can make this tree stand out from amongst other trees; "Wag-'n-bietjie": wait a bit, you are caught up in the hook thorns.
The species was originally described by Hopffer 1855 as Lycaena sybaris, then assigned to the genus Tarucus Moore 1881. It appears to be related to the Tuxentius spp. with which it shares food plants.

Leptosia alcesta

The African wood White. During the autumn months this butterfly could frequently be found fluttering rather weakly in the shady under-storey of the forest on the walk down to Lolombazo in Cumberland. The dark upper side markings can just be seen through  the underside with its distinctive greenish irroration.
Previously Papilio alcesta Stoll 1782, and P. dorothea Fabricius 1793, it was assigned to the genus Leptosia Hubner 1818.