Figure 1
Mopane worm life cycle.
Figure 2
Location of study sites in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Table 1
Surveyed participants in each property regime and the role they play in the mopane worm harvest.
| Public | Private | Communal | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvesters | 2 | 10 | 33 | 45 |
| Managers | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
Table 2
A breakdown of widely applied rules across three tenurial regimes.
| Communal | Private | State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Conditions | Access open for locals. Nonlocals require permission from the chief | An access fee of R300 charged per person per season | Access limited only to selected authorised harvesters |
| Harvesters discouraged from camping | Camping only permitted in designated areas on the property | No overnight camping is allowed | |
| Harvest Rules | No limitation on harvest quantities | There is no limit on harvest quantities | Harvesters are allowed to harvest as much mopane worms as they can in a four-hour window per day |
| Harvesters discouraged from harvesting juvenile caterpillars. Digging pupae is a taboo | No harvesting of juvenile caterpillars or digging pupae allowed | No harvesting of juvenile caterpillars or digging pupae allowed | |
| No harvesting till chief declares the commencement of harvesting season | No harvesting till landowners declare the commencement | No harvesting till park managers declare the commencement | |
| No harvesting till mopane worm reaches maturity | Harvesting only permitted in instar V | Harvesting only permitted in instar V | |
| Harvesters encouraged to not to break branches or trees | No tree climbing or breaking branches allowed | Harvesters not allowed to break branches or climb trees | |
| Management | Fires discouraged | Fires are only permitted at the camps or provided accommodation areas | All fires strictly prohibited |
| Tribal police and ordinary villagers constantly monitor any unauthorised harvesting | Patrols conducted for security enforcement | Inspection of all harvesters on entering and exiting the park | |
| Enforcement and fines | Fines and confiscation of harvest | Immediate confiscation of harvest. Expulsion and blacklisting | Immediate expulsion. In the case of poaching, prosecution |