Ecology and human use of and mopane Peter Frost Colophospermum mopane (Family , sub-family Caesalpinioideae) is an endemic tree of the hot, dry river valleys of southern and south Central Africa. Commonly referred to simply as ‘mopane’, it has characteristically shaped leaves that are often likened to a ’s foot. Its growth form varies from tall, up to 25-m high trees growing on deep alluvial soils, to low-growing, 1-m high in places where rooting depth is more restricted. Across much of its range, mopane forms near- monospecific stands, a reflection of its preference for strongly alkaline, poorly drained, clay-rich soils.

Mopane woodlands are both ecologically and economically important, providing protein-rich browse for wildlife and domestic livestock, and a range of products for human use, primarily timber and fuelwood. It is also host to the larvae of the mopane moth, belina , a common and widespread irruptive that, as its name implies, is mostly associated with mopane. The mature larvae, commonly called ‘mopane worms’, are a valuable natural resource that is important in the livelihoods of rural people in the region, both as a source of protein and as a generator of income.

Mopane worms are transported and sold throughout , often across borders, in a trade that is worth millions of dollars. In this talk, I will introduce mopane (the tree) and the mopane moth, before moving on to discuss the harvesting, trade and uses of mopane worms. I will focus on work in which I was involved that was aimed at quantifying this trade and how it could be enhanced by adding value to the product at different points along the trading chain, all part of a programme to tackle rural poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods.