UMary Allen
Ooqongqothwane baluhlobo loqongqothwane. Kukho iintlobo ezahlukeneyo: I-cockchafer yasendle yeyona ixhaphakileyo kuMbindi Yurophu. I-cockchafer ifumaneka emantla nasempuma kwaye kuphela kwiindawo ezimbalwa zaseJamani. I-cockchafer yaseCaucasus inqabile kakhulu kuMbindi Yurophu. Ungayifumana ngoku kwaye emva koko kumazantsi-ntshona eJamani.
Ii-cockchafer zimalunga neesentimitha ezimbini ukuya kwezintathu ubude. Amaphiko angaphandle aneembambo ezine ezihamba ngobude. Iinkunzi zineempondo ezinkulu kakhulu ezinelobe ezisixhenxe. Iimazi zineentsimbi ezintandathu kuphela kwi-eriyali. Uphantse wadinga iglasi yokubonisa ukuze ubone oku. Ingcali iqaphela iindidi ezahlukeneyo ekupheleni kwenxalenye yangasemva.
Iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zibukeka zifana kakhulu kwaye ziphila ngokufanayo. Ngenxa yoko, kwaye ngenxa yokuba sibona kuphela i-cockchafer, ichazwe ngokubanzi kweli nqaku. Kuba iphantse ibe nguye yedwa, udla ngokubizwa ngokuba ngu “Maybeetle”.
Aphila njani amaphela?
Ngamana ibhungane likhula kwisangqa, esifana namabhabhathane okanye amasele. Sibona i-cockchafers entwasahlobo, ngenyanga kaMeyi. Ngenxa yoko, bafumana igama labo. Ubukhulu becala zitya amagqabi kwimithi evuthulukayo. Emva kokukhwelana, inkunzi iyafa. Imazi yemba malunga nee-intshi ezisibhozo kumhlaba othambileyo ize izalele amaqanda angaphaya kwamashumi amabini apho. Nganye imalunga neemilimitha ezimbini ukuya kwezintathu ubude namhlophe. Emva koko imazi iyafa nayo.
Imibungu iqandusela emaqandeni emva kweeveki ezine ukuya kwezintandathu. Babizwa ngokuba ziigrubs. Zitya iingcambu zezityalo ezahlukeneyo. Oku akubandakanyi nje ingca, imifuno, nemithi, kodwa neetapile, amaqunube, iminqathe, iletisi, kunye nezinye izityalo. Iigrubs ke ngoko ziphakathi kwezinambuzane ezitshabalalisa abalimi kunye nabalimi. Kunyaka wesibini, batya kakhulu.
I-grubs molt kathathu kuba ulusu alukhuli kunye nabo. Kunyaka wesithathu, bayazala kwaye ekwindla baba ngamaqhude okwenene. Noko ke, ubusika obulandelayo bachitha ngaphantsi komhlaba. Azigrumbi phezu komhlaba de kube ngunyaka wazo wesine. Ubomi babo njenge-cockchafer "yabantu abadala" buhlala kuphela iiveki ezine ukuya kwezintandathu.
Emazantsi, i-cockchafers ifuna kuphela iminyaka emithathu kulo lonke uphuhliso. Yintoni ekhethekileyo kukuba ii-cockchafers "zilungelelanisa". Zininzi enyakeni. Oku kubizwa ngokuba ngunyaka we-cockchafer okanye unyaka wokubhabha. Ngamana ooqongqothwane banqabile kule minyaka iphakathi. Rhoqo kwiminyaka engamashumi amathathu ukuya kwengama-45 kubakho isibetho sokwenene samaqhude. Izazinzulu azikayiqondi ncam indlela oku kwenzeka ngayo.
Ngaba amaphela asongelwa?
I-cockchafers kukutya okuthandwayo: Iintaka ezininzi zithanda ukutya ii-cockchafers, ngakumbi amagwababa. Kodwa amalulwane azingela namaqhude. Iihedgehogs, shrews, kunye neehagu zasendle ziyathanda ukugrumba iigrubs.
Sasikade sinamaqhude amaninzi. Phantse kwiminyaka elikhulu eyadlulayo, kwaqokelelwa ii-cockchafers. Uluntu lwathenga izilwanyana ezifileyo kubaqokeleli ukuze silawuleke isibetho. Kamva balwelwa ngetyhefu ukukhusela ezolimo. Namhlanje azikho izibetho zokwenyani ze-cockchafer. Zihlala zimalunga nenani elifanayo.