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Project Noah Nature School
Isoptera
These insects emerge from the ground after heavy rainfall. Swallows appear from nowhere and swoop for them, the garden lizards, Indian Mynah birds and the occasional frog eat them as well. I have, hopefully, attached a video
Spotted on Mar 4, 2012
Submitted on Mar 9, 2012
4 Comments
Body was about 2cm long, maybe a little bigger but don't think as much as 3cm.
You're welcome! They look interesting, were they big (>3 cm)?
Thank you for the information oxyjack, much appreciated. I thought they were termites but not certain.
These are the winged reproductive forms of termites. You can tell from the two pairs of identical wings. These winged forms often swarm after heavy rains. The ones who survive (birds love to eat them) and find a suitable habitat will lose their wings and mate. The females become queens in their new nests and spend their lives producing offspring (their abdomens become so huge they can do little else).