Egg laying

Tok Tokkie Beetles

Tok Tokkie is the common name for all the beetles which produce a “tokking” sound when tapping their rear end on the ground. They perform this serenade in order to attract a mate. But that’s not the only special thing about Tok Tokkies.

Tok Tokkies belong to the Tenebrionid family, the darkling beetles.

Most of them do a headstand in order to obtain moisture. “Tok-tokkie” refers not to a particular genus or tribe of tenebrionids, but rather a number of flightless species that have developed a unique “tapping” method of communication between males and females.  The name “tok-tokkie” is onomatopoeic, referring to the sound these beetles make when they tap their abdomen on the ground.  In the same way that fireflies have species-specific patterns of flashes, different species of tok-tokkies tap with differing frequencies.  The beetle makes the noise by raising its abdomen and then bringing it down on the surface of the ground several times in quick succession.  Males initiate the tapping and await a response from a receptive female.  Signals are exchanged back and forth until, eventually, the two locate each other and mate.  Females lay eggs in shallow excavations in the dry, sandy soil, and the larvae that hatch feed within the soil on the roots of small plants. (Source : beetlesinthebush.wordpress) We photographed this Tok Tokkie @ Xombana laying eggs early one morning in the main boma at the restaurant The White Legged Tok-Tokkie, Dichtha incantatoris has also been sighted at Xombana and Sambane.