· Write to Ashley Kirk-Spriggs, Natural History Department, National Museum of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia

CE Dyte

· I suggest you travel between January and April. December to March is normally the rainy season in Namibia, and that's when the vegetation springs to life, and when insects are at their most prolific and active.

Having said that, the actual annual rainfall is often zero in the driest parts of the Namib - where the time of travel will not be so important. There, you find some of Namibia's most interesting insects - including endemic species of the tenebriondae family (tok tokkie beetles) - at any time of year. In the very early morning, the dunes in the coastal fog belt are a particularly good place to look for many insects - including the 'fog basking' beetles. Make sure you include Swakopmund in your trip, and consider short stays at Terrace Bay and the new lodge at Cape Cross.
Chris McIntyre, Sunvil Africa, www.sunvil.co.uk

· I suggest that your entomologist travels between about January and April. December to March is normally the rainy season in Namibia, and that's when the vegetation springs to life, and when insects at their most prolific and active.

Having said that, the actual annual rainfall is often zero in the driest parts of the Namib - where the time of travel will not be so important. There s/he will find some of Namibia's most interesting insects - including endemic species of the Tenebrionidae family (Tok Tokkie beetles) - at any time of year.

In the very early morning the dunes in the coastal fog belt are a particularly good place to look for many - including the famous 'fog-basking' beetles.

Thus make sure that you include Swakopmund in your trip, and also consider short stays at Terrace Bay and the new lodge at Cape Cross.

For your guidance, I was the author of the UK's first guidebook to Namibia & Botswana - in 1990, and also current Bradt guides to Namibia and Zambia. I now run Sunvil Africa - the UK's main specialist tour operator to Namibia, and my new guidebook to Botswana is due out in December this year. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need more detail on this answer.

Best regards
Chris McIntyre, chris@sunvil.co.uk