Here are some more pictures of weird and wonderful insects from Kakamega Forest. Many thanks to everyone for their comments: Maina, Sheryl and Kevin. I will be posting more about useful insects soon. Basically in the rainforest – every insect can be considered useful. Even the parasites are important as they help keep the numbers of other creatures in check. Here are some colourful flies that I photographed in the forest – they were hanging around where some colobus monkeys were napping… 
There were also lots of little grasshopper nymphs around, including this cute little fellow: 
In the evening, just before a thunderstorm broke over the forest, I spotted this lovely skipper butterfly sipping nectar from flowers. The flower is an Impatiens sp, which grows along the forest paths in shady spots. It seems to be pollinated by skipper butterflies primarily. The globular sphere in the background is a seed pod that is just about to burst. The pods explode when ready – at the slightest touch – sending the seeds flying into the forest. No matter how many times I’ve popped them, it’s always a surprise to feel the pod springing to life! Most flowering plants rely on insect pollinators in order to be pollinated and set seed or fruit… 
Do the butterflies set off the seed pods or are they too lightweight?
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Dino you have to check out these unbelievable dudu photos – insects in the morning http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2008/08/wet_insects.php