Here is the KZN we have been exposed to quite the array of ‘Africanized Bugs’ aka supersized insects. At many points along the trip we have seen the occasional ‘Holy Jesus look at the size of that!’ insect, but here we have begun to get numb to the fact that we are living beside the giants of the insect world.

Giant Acacia Click Beetle on Kara’s arm

Just the other night we were hanging out drinking a few black labels and a 3 inch long Giant Acacia Click Beetle lands on the table. We pick it up and quickly flip through a field guide to insects of South Africa to determine what it was. There is also a constant helicopter like buzz of the carpenter bees overhead as they move in and out of their homes inside of the wood foundations. They literally do fly-by’s just a few inches from everyone and no one even flinches anymore.

Some of my time here I have been collecting data for a local insect census, which means I’m taking photos and figuring out what everything is and logging it. It has been like returning to the days as a little kid looking under the rocks for slugs and worms. I found a three-horned Dung Beetle the other day in the garden, it was a small one (~1” long), but was pretty cool to discover. I also found a Peaceful Giant Ground beetle that was also about 3 inches long walking next to our tent; which we keep very tightly zipped shut. There are also the more dangerous spiders and scorpions, but we’ve only seen a few of those.

Three Horned Dung Beetle

Roman (aka Sun Spider) They are really nasty looking creatures.

Large Camo Katydid

Plum Dung Beetle