While on a scientific survey of occlupanids of Southern Africa, groundbreaking researchers P. Steinmetz and J. Strauss discovered the elegantly curved Paximadia prehendus in several parks throughout the region. The newly discovered specimens were often attached to bags of hard biscuits known as rusks, or lying dormant on park benches. Three specimens from Botswawna, Zimbabwe and South Africa were carefully collected by the occlupanologists, and data concerning their discovery was well documented. All three specimens now reside in the Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group’s African Hall.