Tag: South Africa

Moth Drepanogynis insciata (Axiodes insciata) rediscovered after more than 140 years
For almost 150 years it was considered lost: this photo by Cameron Scott shows a male specimen of Drepanogynis insciata in January 2022 in Mossel Bay (South Africa) – alive, emerald-green, and back in the focus of science for the first time. (© cyamscott via iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0)

South Africa: Moth thought extinct rediscovered after 147 years

Until a few years ago, the geometrid moth Drepanogynis insciata, which for a long time was listed under the name Axiodes insciata, was little more than a footnote in entomology. For nearly 150 years, only two historical museum specimens from the vicinity of the South African town of Swellendam and

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Prostalia granulata - rediscovered after 45 years
Prostalia granulata – male individual, photographed at Beacon Hill in the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve. Characteristic are the numerous tiny raised granules (“granula”) covering the body surface. (© Adrian Armstrong, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife)

South Africa: Rediscovered after 45 years – a nearly forgotten grasshopper species is still alive

For more than four decades, Prostalia granulata, also known as the granulate bladder grasshopper, was considered lost. The rare grasshopper species was last scientifically documented in 1980. Since then, no verified records had been available—raising serious doubts about its continued existence. Then, in early December 2025, came the surprise: the

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Quagga
The extinct quagga was about 257 centimeters long and reached a shoulder height of 125 to 135 centimeters. Unlike other zebras, its brown and white stripes were located on the front part of its body, while the rear part of the body was unstriped. (© Nicolas Marechal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Quagga

Half zebra, half horse The British naturalist William Burchell is often regarded as the discoverer of the animal that travelers described as “half zebra, half horse” or “unfinished zebra“—the quagga. However, the species had already been mentioned earlier by explorers. Even before Burchell’s “discovery” in 1812, the English naturalist George

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das einzig bekannte Foto vom Kaplöwen
The only known photograph of the Cape lion, which went extinct in the mid-19th century. (© See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Study Questions the Myth of the Extinct Cape Lion as a Distinct Subspecies

A study published yesterday in Scientific Reports questions the taxonomic status of the Cape lion (Panthera leo melanochaita), which was driven to extinction around 1860. For a long time, this large cat was considered a distinct subspecies, characterized by its striking black mane that extended over its shoulders and belly,

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