Northam Booysendal Platinum Mine

Research on the life cycle, biology and distribution of South Africa’s largest endemic cicada, Dyticopycna sylvia, for Northam Booysendal Platinum Mine (ongoing from 2020).

During 2021 we set up a nursery to house potted food-plants (Argyrolobium transvaalense) and caged female cicadas on some plants. Several females laid eggs within the stems and we were able to “seed” nearly 20 plants with eggs and newly-hatched nymphs, whose development will now be monitored until they emerge as adults.