One last look back at more creatures from Malawi

Well, the rain did stop eventually, and the temperatures remain mild, for now, but the skies are still dark this morning, and I had a helper along with short legs who didn’t want to explore farther than the pond this time.

We did, however, spot this male belted kingfisher perched over the pond before some nice fall foliage, …

And this male wood duck stretching a wing just above the water.

But then we had to head back home, which gives me the opportunity to show you some of the insects Anne and I saw in Dzalanyama Forest Reserve of Malawi. This first beauty is a gaudy commodore butterfly (Precis octavia).

Besides butterflies, there were a few dragonflies, and this stunner appears to be a common tiger or common tigertail (Ictinogomphus ferox), a clubtail in the Gomphidae family.

This next darling butterfly, a Lang’s short-tailed blue or common zebra blue (Leptotes pirithous), was tiny and perched on a stick lying on the ground just outside our cabin door.

On the day we hiked to a highpoint to peer into Mozambique, I noticed a piece of straw on the ground moving oddly, and that’s because it was actually an African stick mantis (Hoplocorypha macra), instead.

On the day we hiked along the stream, we kept seeing this one type of butterfly, who turned out to be of the species serene sailer or river sailer (Neptis serena), and who absolutely refused to let me get a picture. At one point, after several failed attempts, Anne asked how I ever got butterfly pictures at all. Anyway, when I went back early the next morning, this particular specimen was more interestied in warming up in the sun than in evading my camera, so here we are.

I would have never spotted this next spectacular creature if I hadn’t noticed it flying in for a landing. I can’t get an exact ID, but it was pretty big, and it appears to be an antlion, possibly in the Palpares genus.

Lastly, we saw several striking orange/tan butterflies on our hikes, and this one appears to be a darker commodore (Precis antilope)

Well, the forecast calls some clearer, if cooler, skies, so keep your fingers crossed for some sun tomorrow morning.