British South Africa Company (BSAC)

British South Africa Company (BSAC) The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was a mercantile company incorporated on 29 October 1889 by a royal charter given by Lord Salisbury, the British prime minister, to Cecil Rhodes. The company was modeled on the East India Company and was expected to annex and then administer territory in south-central Africa, to act as a police force, and develop settlements for European settlers. The charter was initially granted for 25 years, and was extended for another 10 in 1915. It was intended that the BSAC would develop the region without significant cost to the British tax payer. It was therefore given the right to create its own political administration supported by a paramilitary force for protection of settlers against local peoples. Profits form the company, in terms of diamond and gold interests were reinvested in the company to allow it to expand its area of influence. African labor was exploited partially through the application of hut taxes, which required Africans to look for wages. Mashonaland was invaded by a Pioneer Column in 1830, then the Ndebele in Matabeleland. This formed the proto-colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They were stopped from spreading further to the north west by King Leopolds holdings in Katanga. Instead they appropriated lands which formed Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). (There were failed attempts to also incorporate Botswana and Mozambique.) The BSAC was involved in the Jamison Raid of December 1895, and they faced a rebellion by the Ndebele in 1896 which required the aid of British to quell. A further rising of Ngoni people in Northern Rhodesia was suppressed in 1897-98. Mineral resources failed to be as large as implied to settlers, and farming was encouraged. The charter was renewed in 1914 on the condition that settlers be given greater political rights in the colony. Towards the end of the last extension of the charter, the company looked towards South Africa, which was interested in incorporating Southern Rhodesia into the Union. A referendum of the settlers voted for self-government instead. When the charter came to an end in 1923, white settlers were allowed to take control of the local government as a self-governing colony in Southern Rhodesia and as a protectorate in Northern Rhodesia. The British Colonial Office stepped in 1924 and took over. The company continued on after its charter lapsed, but was unable to generate sufficient profits for shareholders. Mineral rights in Southern Rhodesia were sold to the colonys government in 1933. Mineral rights in Northern Rhodesia were retained until 1964 when they were forced to hand them over to the government of Zambia.

Overview of Tiger Moths, Subfamily Arctiinae

Overview of Tiger Moths, Subfamily Arctiinae Anyone who has used a black light to sample insects at night has probably collected a few tiger moths. The subfamily name Arctiinae is likely derived from the Greek arctos, meaning bear, an apt nickname for the fuzzy tiger moth caterpillars. Appearance Tiger moths are often (but not always) brightly colored, with bold markings in geometric shapes. They tend to be small to medium in size and bear filiform antennae. The adults are mostly nocturnal, and hold their wings flat, like a roof over their bodies, when at rest. Once youve seen a few tiger moths, you will probably recognize other members of the subfamily Artiinae by sight alone. There are, however, some specific wing venation traits used for identification. In most tiger moths, the subcosta (Sc) and radial sector (Rs) are fused to the center of the discal cell in the hind wings. Tiger moth caterpillars are often quite hairy, which is why some are referred to as woollybears. This subfamily includes some of our most beloved caterpillars, like the banded woollybear, which is believed by some to be a predictor of winter weather. Other members of the group, like the fall webworm, are considered pests. Habitat There are about 260 species of tiger moths in North America, a small fraction of the 11,000 species known worldwide. Tiger moths inhabit both temperate and tropical zones but are more diverse in the tropics. Diet and Life Cycle As a group, tiger moth caterpillars feed on a wide range of grasses, garden crops, shrubs, and trees. Some species, like the milkweed tussock moth, require specific host plants (in this example, milkweed). Like all butterflies and moths, tiger moths undergo a complete metamorphosis, with four life cycle stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult. The cocoon is constructed mostly from larval hairs, making for a rather fuzzy pupal case. Defenses Many tiger moths wear bright colors, which may serve to warn predators that theyd be an unpalatable meal. However, the nocturnal tiger moths are also hunted by bats, which find their prey using echolocation rather than sight. Some species of tiger moths have an auditory organ on the abdomen to help them detect and avoid bats at night. Tiger moths dont just listen for bats and flee, though. They produce an ultrasonic clicking sound that confuses and deters the bats pursuing them. Recent evidence suggests the tiger moths are effectively jamming or interfering with bat sonar. Some clever tiger moths that are perfectly tasty will mimic the clicking of their unpalatable cousins, much like the viceroy butterfly mimics the colors of the toxic monarch butterfly. Classification The tiger moths were previously classified within the family Arctiidae, and in some cases are listed as a tribe instead of a subfamily. Their current classification is: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: LepidopteraFamily: ErebidaeSubfamily: Arctiinae Sources Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. JohnsonInsects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. MarshallMoths mimic each others’ sounds to fool hungry Discover Magazine, accessed November 14, 2012Moths Use Sonar-Jamming Defense to Fend Off Hunting Bats Scientific American, accessed November 14, 2012Moths Mimic Sounds To SurviveSubfamily Arctiinae - Tiger and Lichen Moths BugGuide.Net, accessed November 14, 2012Flying Tigers, Entomology Notes #19, Michigan Entomological Society, accessed November 14, 2012