Seasonal activity of savanna termites during and after severe drought

Abstract

As part of a broad programme to record the influence of severe drought on selected target populations, two taxa of termite were monitored over a 24-month period in the southern Kruger National Park, South Africa. Activity of harvester termites Hodotermes mossambicus reached highest levels during the drought, while macrotermitine Allodontermes rhodesiensis and Microtermes sp appear to favour less extreme levels of rainfall. The general impact of termites in the KNP is discussed and related to studies elsewhere in Africa.