SOME ASPECTS OF THE ECOLOGY &
SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF
THE MOPANE WORM
Gonimbrasia belina
Phane (Tswana)
Amacimbi (Indebele)
Masonja (Venda)
Madora (Shona)
Mopane Worms
Alan Gardiner (SAWC)
Hendrik Sitole (SANParks)
Richard Sowry (SANParks)
Stephen Midzi (SANParks)
National image
15ºS
Distribution:
Main hostplants
G. belina
Colophospermum mopane
Colophospermum
mopane
Brachystegia / Julbernardia
Ozoroa spp.
Sclerocarya birrea
Gonimbrasia belina
Schotia brachypetala /
Acacia karroo
Economics local scale
• In MW areas most households harvest.
• Large quantities e.g. two villages S.W. Zimbabwe 3t
(1.66 million MW’s).
• Zimbabwe 36 - 217kg dry mass/household R5003300/household.
• Botswana 75 - 350kg dry mass/household P9754550/household.
• KNP study R612-858 per household (L. Swemmer this
conf.)
• Income.
• Family nutrition.
Broader economic scale
• Botswana 1992 export worth P2.2m
(Ditlhogo 1996)
• Botswana 1994 export 980 tonnes to SA
worth P5.3m (Taylor 2000)
• Botswana industry estimated to be worth
P18.9million employing 10 000 people
(Taylor 2000)
• Styles (1996) estimated the potential for
MW production in SA to be R741million
Dry frass/dung produced/ha
Location
Selibwe Pikwe (Ditlhogo 1960)
Egg
Kg dry
density/ha frass/ha
21600
Messina (Styles 1996)
Punda Maria (OTS 2010)
25180
Mapungubwe (OTS 2011)
55255
Elephant KNP Total 2012
171 (1st)
49 (2nd)
99 (2nd)
28 (yr)
In 4000ha near Messina Mopane Worms consumed 13 times more
leaf matter in 6 weeks than elephants, at KNP density, in 12
months (Styles 1996).
Factors influencing Mopane
worm population
• Host plant(s) (Mopane
tree)
• Parasites
• Predators
• Disease
• Geology &
Topography
• Climatic conditions
Egg parasitoids
Higher second generation
Mortality variable
0-90%
e.g. Mesocomys
pulchriceps
Parasitoid: Chalcid
Mortality can be high but local e.g. 33, 57, 100% (Ditlhogo 1996)
Disease
Bacteria
Virus
nuclear polyhedrosis virus
Iridovirus
Mortality variable
3.7% R. Knell unpub.
100%
Parasite: Ichneumonid
Mortality low 0-10%
Predators
Mortality variable up to 100% but predators can get saturated
Abiotic Factors
Outbreak conditions
Emergence
Rainfall
Emergence of G. belina over one season
Emergence & survival of pupae over a two year period
Future direction within KNP &
neighbouring land
• Further understanding on the ecological
significance of MW’s
• Tracking MW population levels
• Mapping outbreak areas
• Relating results to conditions, especially
amount & timing of rainfall
• Developing a harvesting stratergy “model”
– Dynamic (suitable to certain groups of people)
– Key measurables
– Management depends on political, economic
and ecological decisions
Acknowledgements
M. Mushongohande
T. Gondo
F. Taylor
OTS team
P. Frost
J. Stack
W. Kozanayi
R. Oberprieler
Large Mammal herbivores
Gynanisa maja
Mopane woodland/savanna Gonometa rufrobrunea
(Colophospermum mopane)
At least 143 articles
Wood source
At least 9 dissertations:
Porter, R.N. 1968
Eyles, P.A. 1971
Henning, A.C. 1976
Kelly,R.D. 1975
Dye, P.J. 1977
Madams, R.W. 1990
Ditlhogo, M.K. 1996
Du Plessis, 2001
De Nagy Koves Hrabar, H,
2006
Mopane psylla
Mopane Worm Farming
Tying Eggs
Egg Protection
Larval Protection
Moving
Larvae
Bird Deterrents
Pupation pit
Removal of Pupa
Moth Hatching
Post Harvest Preparation
Squeezing
Cooking
Traditional Drying
Solar Drying
Traditional Roasting
Quick Roasting
Storage: Sterilization
• 5-6 months
Content % by dry weight g/100g
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Moisture
Ash
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Fats
Potassium
Sodium
Phosphorus
Iron
Calcium
Calories (KJg-1)
7.31
9.28
59.03
(Biltong 55.4; Beef cooked 22.6)
8.16
15.7
0.581
0.516
0.0169
0.2992
0.0199
24.21
Amino Acid Adequacy (amount g/100g)
•
Amino acid
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Histidine
Threonine
Valine
Methionine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Phenylalanine
Tyrosine
Lysine
Tryptophan
amount
2.92
4.60
4.07
3.13
3.02
5.03
10.3
4.72
1.10
Infants
a
a
Low
L OK
L
L
a
L
L
School Adults
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
ina
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
ina
Male
Female
(Two Generations/yr)
Indication of Ecological Importance
• Styles 1996
• Messina 4000ha area first generation
consumed 855 tonnes dry mass; 684
tonnes dry mass frass (dung).
• Elephants in same are; MW’s consume 13
times more leaf matter in 6 weeks than
elephants in 12 months and 8 times more
dung.
Male
Female
We would like to acknowledge
inputs from the following people:
Member Mushongohande
Tendayi Gondo
Frank Taylor
OTS team
Illgner & Nel 2000
Peter Frost
Jayne Stack
Witness Kozanayi
Rolf Oberprieler
Mopane Worm (Imbrasia belina) Life Cycle
Male
Female
Egg Cluster
1st Instar
2nd Instar
3rd & 4th Instar
5th Instar
Burrowing
Pupation