Insects

Flying

Here is a simple example of the fly, which everyone knows. There are also fly species in Africa that can often transmit diseases. Then there are the many butterfly species that belong to the insects found in all parts of Africa.

The World of Insects

The beetle also belongs to the group of insects, of which there are interesting species. Farmers also know and fear the migratory locusts, which are among the large insects. As an example among flies, the African hoverfly can be mentioned, which lives in tropical East Africa. This fly is a special species of its genus, as it looks like a bumblebee and can thus deceive its enemies. Its food also consists of nectar and pollen, which makes it an important pollinator. The best known is the tsetse fly, which transmits diseases such as sleeping sickness. These flies live in all parts of Africa and are feared by locals and tourists.

The so-called fever mosquito also belongs to the insects that are not harmless mosquitoes because they cause malaria. In tropical Africa, digger wasps are native, which reach a body length of 28 mm.

The digger wasp stands out with its black/yellow striped legs and almost transparent wings. They prefer moist spots as their habitat, where they build spherical mud nests that are then attached to rocks.

Of course, the many species of beetles are also interesting, which live everywhere in Africa, even in the desert, claiming their habitat. For example, there is the colorful rose chafer, which populates tropical Africa south of the Sahara. There are also different subspecies of these beetles, one of which with a green shell occurs in Kenya and Tanzania.

This beetle is diurnal and can fly quite well. Depending on the incidence of light, this beetle takes on a metallic gold, red and also green hue. The rose chafer mainly eats sweet plant juices from many plant parts or fruits. The African Longhorn Beetle from the family of longhorn beetles is also an interesting insect, which also appears heavy and compact due to its black body color. The most striking feature is the large wide pincers, which almost reach the width of the head.

Locusts

Some species of locusts are also widespread in Africa, such as the feared migratory locust, which can grow up to eight centimeters in size. These locusts live in tree and bush savannas, from where they find their feeding grounds as large swarms, especially during a drought, in the fields. They often cause great damage, which is why they have not only birds, reptiles and small mammals as enemies, but also humans, who must protect their crops. The general color of these insects is light brown with dark brown spots.