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Stenocara gracilipes
Beetle with stripes
Yes, I agree, since there are wrong IDs on the web it might be important to take the racing name to separate it from the other common and maybe not very precise name Namib Desert Beetle, which might be used also for the other one...
I prefer an exact name to use instead of the general, so I change it as it should be.
The common name from the "Field Guide to Insects of South Africa" (Picker, Griffiths & Weaving) is Racing-stripe Darkling Beetle. I suspect that the name Namib Desert Beetle is a generic name used by the guides to impress tourists and it probably covers quite a few different beetles, since there are quite a few different species in the Namib. My opinion is to stick to traceble literature. Some people argue that the common name is irrelevant as long as the scientific name is correct. Its really up to you.
Johan,
can you call him Namib Desert beetle or is the more appropriate name
Racing-stripe Darkling Beetle ?
I grew up in the area and we played with these as children. We called them al sorts of names other than what I have have suggested now. Thanks.
Bayucca ,
ok, but you points in the right direction, so that ... I can not;-)
Spotted on Jul 14, 2009
Submitted on Jun 17, 2012
+1
