Inswa

I’ve been trying to capture these guys throughout the whole rainy season. They’re these little creatures- which I find quite fascinating- called “inswa”. (Spelling??) Someone once told me they’re flying termites. I’ve come to agree.

Inswa come out just after a rain, or if it’s lightly showering. They come from the ground and gravitate toward light. After a few minutes, wings start to fall off the bodies of the creatures. I thought they all died because countless wingless bodies can be found in puddles of water. But actually, the bodies that make it to dirt will re-bury themselves until a time when they can fly out again. I don’t understand the whole process- how the wings grow, why they fall off so quickly or why the creatures are attracted to water & light- both of which kill them. A bit of Zambian insight: the wings are considered a Bemba delicacy, though I’ve yet to indulge. HA! (Aside: Bemba is one of Zambia’s many tribes, they originally come from Northern and Copperbelt provinces- though plenty have made Lusaka home).