Thousands of winged termites descend on wake in Bohol

Mourners at a wake in Pilar, Bohol were left astonished after thousands of flying insects suddenly descended on the gathering, covering the walls, floor, and even the coffin.

In Kuya Kim’s report in "24 Oras" on Thursday, Edimar Doydora, who shared the incident online, said the unexpected swarm appeared about two hours after the wake for his brother-in-law had begun.

"Pagkatapos nilagay mga dalawang oras bago nagsilabasan 'yung gamu-gamo. Napakarami. Di namin alam kung saan nanggaling 'yun," he said.

The insects were so numerous that mourners found it difficult to approach the coffin for fear of getting them in their eyes.

While many initially believed the insects were moths, they were actually winged termites, according to entomologist Daryl Hernandez.

"Tinatawag din natin 'yan na alates. Sila 'yung mga future King and Queen na mga termite. Kaya din natin sila nakita na nag-swarm 'yan 'yung tinatawag nating nuptial flight 'yan yung way na pumili ng kanilang magiging partner habang buhay. Mga termite ay mga monogamous," he explained.

While there is still no definitive explanation for why these insects are attracted to artificial light, one leading theory is that they use natural light sources for navigation.

"'Yung madalas na teorya niyan, una they use it for navigation kasi noon ang ginagamit nila pang navigate ay yung mga natural light lang. 'Yong iba they find their food and sa termites 'yun din 'yung signal nila na OK doon tayo magkita sa ilalim ng poste," Hernandez said.

Hernandez added that the swarming of winged termites is also considered a natural sign that the dry season is ending and the rainy season is beginning.

How did Edimar's family deal with the insects?

"Nilagyan namin ng palanggana na may laman na tubig. Tsaka pinatay 'yung ilaw sandali. Doon na unti-unting nawawala," he said.

According to Hernandez, water traps are effective because winged termites shed their wings after finding a mate.

"So paglaglag doon sa planggana hindi sila makakapunta sa panibago nilang area kung saan sila magpaparami pang deter din or pangpigil," he said. —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA News