Last night we went out on the afternoon game drive and at last the first summer rains came to Pilanesberg and the insects and amphibians in the Pilanesberg came to life. Dung beetles were spotted, termites were out on their nuptial flight, millipedes all over the road and the very prominent call of the banded rubber frog was present in the early hours of the morning. All of the above mentioned little creatures play a vital role in the functioning of the ecosystem. Dung beetles are responsible for the eradication of all the dung in the reserve and by burying their dung balls they put back vital nutrients and trace elements back into the soil for later consumption by plants and if it wasn’t for dung beetles the entire Africa would be covered up by a meter high dung layer. Termites also play a vital role, they serve as a major food source for a huge variety of animals but also through their feeding habits they put back nutrients in the soil. In general insects are a necessity for all life on earth for example if all the insects in the world would be eradicated, 64% of the remaining animal life would go extinct due to starvation. The insect life on the Pilanesberg is massive and be sure to be on the look out for them on your next stay at Ivory Tree Game lodge. Always remember that real men don’t stand on ants.
Ranger
Gerhard.
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