At Londolozi we are treated to numerous amazing sightings of so-called “big game” such as leopards, lions and elephants, to name a few.
But every now and then an unusual encounter with the less noticeable creatures of the bush makes as much of an impact on your safari, if not more. Recently, while driving back to camp not long after dusk, we had such an encounter.
It had rained continuously throughout the previous night but had cleared during the day. The humidity levels were high as excess surface water began to evaporate, giving us the feeling that a warm damp towel had been draped over our heads. Stopping to listen to the night time orchestra of a waterhole we noticed a loud fluttering sound nearby. I drove around the corner and was greeted to the silhouettes of countless winged termites emerging from their mound. We jumped out of the vehicle and stood at the foot of the 1.5m high mound as millions of “flying ants” poured from the open vents.
A flurry of termites spotlighted in the night sky.
What we were witnessing, without becoming lost in too much detail, was the annual dispersal of a termite colony. This is known as a nuptial flight, in which the reproductive members or alates fly off with the intention to breed and start their own colonies. These winged termites would eventually lose their wings, fall to the ground and start crawling around in search of a mate. Females lay a pheromone scent trail making it easier for males from different colonies to find them. Once the male successfully finds a female, it will latch onto the rear of the female where the pair will look for some soft soil in which they will burrow, mate and become the king and queen of a new colony.
Colonies such as the one we were standing next to can be over 50 years old with the queen laying up to 30 000 eggs a day!
Termites are sometimes seen as pests in urban areas due to certain species tendency to bore through the foundations of houses. However, termites are a vital component of the ecosystem because essentially they are the recyclers of the planet. Being consumers of dead or decaying organic material, termites break down waste and return nutrients to the soil. Their excavating habits also aerate the soil and provide nutrient hotspots for large trees to germinate and grow, such as the Jackalberry, where once established are host to a range of species such as birds, reptiles and large mammals.
Two leopards resting on a bough of a Jackalberry (Diospyros mespiliformes). Trees such as this one thrive off the nutrients brought from the underground water table by termites.
Listening to the deafening whirr of millions of wings flapping together and staring in awe at a shower of flying ants disperse in every direction gave me a sense of the grand scale that nature works on. To put into perspective how many termites there are it has been calculated that the biomass of termites exceeds that of all the large herbivores in the bushveld. What we were witnessing was just the tip of the iceberg! It made me think about the hive of activity happening below our feet all day, every day, and all of it without us noticing.
My appreciation for this overlooked creature has grown immensely. Without these small gardeners life on the surface would be a lot less diverse. I am itching for the next downpour so I can perhaps witness another unusual quality sighting.
It is always about the smaller things in the bush that give the most pleasure.
Couldn’t agree more Marinda.
Josh, I loved the video🤗
Great video!
we were at a camp in Botswana one year on our est to Londolozi and for 3 nights we were surrounded by flying termites. Ou guide told us his grandmother used to cat h them , cook them and eat them as a source of protein. Victoria
Dear Josh, this is one of the best newsletters I ever read and the video is like a fairytale. I have goosebumps! By the way it sound so very interesting. We all depen on the smallest creatures and plants in the end
Thank you Francesca! It is an eye opener and gives us so much more perspective when “ranking” the importance of animals. Everything plays their role, no matter how small.
Hello Josh, Very well written, it is so easy to ignore what is small even though it is very importent…
Beautiful photos! I loved your video!
Here comes two questions.
Do you know which other homes/shelters that is popular to ”take over” from other animals besides the home of the termites?
I have got the impression that the termiters seems to be the real estate agents of the bush?
Are they? 😃
Off the top of my head the only other homes I can think of Ann are holes in trees made by insects and/or birds which are occupied by lizards, snakes and other birds. There is a moth that lives in the soles of dead elephants, but I think you would agree with me that’s quite a niche market.
Termites are certainly the real estate agents of the bush!
Thank you for your answer! That is interesting to know.
So beautiful and so importent that we appreciate all life, not be fearful or hateful. Thank you so much for sharing this. I have a question. In the video it looks like 3 different termites. A small termite, the long one with wings they will loose and a hefty looking termite with large pinschers. Could you tell us which are the female, males etc…? Thank you!
Hi Johanna. The small hefty ones with enlarged heads and big pincers are the soldiers of the colony. The long ones with wings are the reproductive alates. And the small termites are the workers which make up the majority of the colony. Hope this helps!
Fascinating read. Thanks for the enlightenment and education about creatures we normally consider as pests. Good to know how vital they are to the ecology of the region.
Hi Josh…thanks so much for that rather lovely and really informative explanation and description of the importance of termites in the biosystem…..they play such a vital role in keeping the ecosystem balanced….. I witnessed it myself in S Africa just after the rains…. quite a humbling sight…..then watching as the birds and all sorts of little predators swooped on them to get their protein fix!… really fascinating….thanks again Josh
That was beautiful – and the picture with them spotlit turned out beautifully – sort of an abstract piece of art
I remember as a kid growing up on the outskirts of Johannesburg running around trying to catch the flying termites while riding my horse bareback through the veld. These sightings were amazing to me then and still haven’t lost their fascination for me 40 years later. Thanks for this. More blogs on bugs please…
It’s a pleasure Tracey! Will do my best for some more interesting bug blogs.
That was one of the coolest and more hilarious sightings of our stay! Driving through termites for 15 minutes straight was insane and they got all over our clothes and in our hair! Thanks for the sighting 🦟
Thank you Josh for another fascinating article devoted to one of the smaller species of the veld/bush. Your video was magical, the accompanying music adding to a spiritual feeling. Good to see you back.
Good to be back Denise. Thank you!
Great and fascinating post Josh. You’re right, I always think of termites as pests? But what they do for all of us is little known and rarely seen. Thanks so much for the great information!
I watched the video more times and shared it
What a great sight to see Josh! To all things great and small 👌🙏❤️
Josh, What an awesome sighting and beautiful video! Thanks for the wonderful education!
Although I’ve seen the huge termite mounds, I never understood the how’s or why’s until now. Thanks!
Beautiful 👌