Chapter
22
Overview
In this region, the use of edible
insects has been reported in
In Samia
ricini, the eri silkworm, the region provides one of the best
examples of how environmental benefits can be reaped from the use of
"multiple product" edible insects.
The species feeds on the castor plant which grows well on poor soils,
thus helping to prevent soil erosion; castor bean oil is sold for industrial
and medicinal uses; excess leaves are fed to the caterpillars which produce
silk used in commerce and a pupa that is a high-protein food (India) or animal
feedstuff (Nepal); and the caterpillar frass and other rearing residue can be
used for pond fish production.
Regional Taxonomic Inventory
Taxa and stages consumed Countries
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae (long‑horned beetles)
Batocera rubus (Linn.), adult?
Coelosterma scabrata (author?)
Coelosterma sp.
Neocerambyx paris (author?)
Xysterocera globosa (author?)
Xysterocera sp.
Curculionidae (weevils, snout beetles)
Rhynchophorus chinensis (author?)
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv., larva
Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles)
Eretes stictus Linn. (= sticticus), larva, adult
Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles)
Hydrophilus olivaceus Fabr., adult
Passalidae (bess beetles)
Passalus interruptus (author?), larva
Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles)
Oryctes rhinoceros (Linn.), larva
Xylotrupes gideon Linn., larva
Hemiptera
Belostomatidae (giant water bugs)
Lethocerus indicus Lep. & Serv., adult
Gerridae (water striders)
Gerris sp.
Gerris spinole (author?)
Pentatomidae (stink bugs)
Bagrada picta Fabr.
Coridius chinensis
Coridius nepalensis (Westwood), adult
Cyclopelta subhimalayensis Strickland, adult
Erthesina fullo Thunb., adult
Homoptera
Cicadidae (cicadas)
Cicada sp.
Cicada verides (author?)
Hymenoptera
Anthophoridae (carpenter bees)
Xylocopa sp., adult?
Apidae (honey bees)
Apis dorsata Fabr., larva, pupa
Apis laboriosa (author?) larva
Bee
brood
Formicidae (ants)
Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabr.), larva, adult
Red
ant
Isoptera
Winged
termites
Termite
queens
Odontotermitidae
Odontotermes feae Linn.
Termitidae
Termes sp.
Lepidoptera
Arctiidae (tiger moths)
Diacrisia obliguae (author?)
Bombycidae (silkworm moths)
Bombyx mori (Linn.), pupa
Bombyx sp.
Lasiocampidae (tent caterpillars, lappet moths)
Malacosoma sp.
Saturniidae (giant silkworm moths)
Antheraea assamensis (Westwood), pupa
Antheraea paphia (Linn.), pupa
Antheraea roylei
Samia cynthia (Drury)
Samia ricini (Boisduval), pupa
Mantodea
Family uncertain
Hierodula coarctata (author?)
Hierodula westwoodi Kirby
Odonata
Aeschnidae (darners)
Acisoma parnorpaides (author?)
Aeschna spp., nymphs
Orthoptera
Acrididae (short‑horned grasshoppers)
Acrida gigantea (author?)
Acridium melanocorne Linn.
Acridium peregrinum (author?)
Locusta mahrattarum Hope
Mecapoda elongata (author?) India
Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) India
Locusts/qrasshoppers India,
Nepal, Pakistan
Gryllidae (crickets)
Acheta bimaculatus De Geer India
Brachytrupes achetinus (author?)
India
Gryllodes melanocephalus (author?) India
Liogryllus bimaculatus (author?)
India
Gryllotalpidae (mole crickets)
Gryllotalpa africana Beauv. India
Tettigoniidae (long‑horned grasshoppers, katydids)
Holochlora albida (author?) India
Holochlora indica Kirby India
Lima cordid (author?) India
Family uncertain
Thylotropides ditymus (author?) India
Trichoptera
Caddicefly
larvae India
Other silkworm species also have
great multiple-product potential in the region.
The pupae of Bombyx mori
are used not only as human food in India, but have been experimentally
evaluated there and in Sri Lanka as a high-protein replacement for various
levels of fishmeal in poultry and egg production. Chopra et al (1970) analyzed 33 samples of
feed ingredients from various parts of India and found that de-oiled silkworm
pupae meal from Mysore (the only insect product tested) was the highest in
crude protein (76.0% with free amino acids removed) and highest in the amino
acids lysine, histidine and arginine. In
chick feeding trials, Ichhponani and Malik (1971) found that half of the
fishmeal and half of the groundnut cake in the ration can be replaced by
de-oiled silkworm pupae and corn-steep liquor (a byproduct of the corn starch
industry), with no reduction in final weight or feed/gain ratios. The authors point out that the annual
production of silkworm pupae meal was 20,000 tons and of corn-steep fluid 8,000
tons, making them significant sources of protein. Saikia et al (1971) tested the effect on egg
production of several agricultural and
industrial waste products in Assam as substitutes for yellow maize and fishmeal
which are costly. The experimental layer
mash containing silkworm pupae cost the least, gave the lowest feed-to-egg
conversion ratio, and the lowest cost per dozen eggs produced. The pupae-fed pullets also suffered the
lowest mortality (nil), produced the largest eggs, thickest shells, light
yellow yolks and were graded AA. In
feeding trials in Sri Lanka, Wijayasinghe and Rajaguru (1977) also found that
silkworm pupae could successfully replace the local fishmeal in poultry
rations, both for growth and egg production.
Pupae of the saturniid, Antheraea
assamensis, have also been tested with promising results in
chick-feeding trials as a substitute for the irregular and costly supply of
fishmeal in Assam.
INDIA
In a recent study, Gope and Prasad (1983) obtained proximate
analyses on eight of the nearly 20 species of insects found in a preliminary
survey to be commonly used as food among the various tribes in the State of
Manipur in northeastern India (India Table 1; authors' Table 1). The experimental insects were starved for 24
hr to allow the gut contents to clear before analyses were conducted. The indentity of specimens was determined by
specialists at the British Museum (Natural History). Samples analyzed included representatives of
the following species: Hydrophilus olivaceous Fabr.
(Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae); Oryctes rhinoceros Linn. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae); Belostoma indicus Lep. & Serve. (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae); Odontotermes feae Linn. (Isoptera: Odontotermitidae); and from among the
Orthoptera, Acridium melanocorne
Linn. (Acrididae), Gryllotalpa africana
Beauv. (Gryllotalpidae), Hierodula westwoodi
Kirby (Mantidae), and Holochlora indica
Kirby (Tettigoniidae). The authors
found, on a fresh weight basis, crude protein values ranging from 4.4% in B. indicus to 28.4% in A. melanocorne, and calorific values
(kcal/100g) ranging from 63.2 in B. indicus
to 486.0 in O. feae. They note that although B. indicus was the lowest in protein and
calorie value of the insects analyzed, it is a popular dish in Manipur.
Gope and Prasad concluded that
insects represent the cheapest source of animal protein in Manipur and their
consumption should be encouraged because many of the people cannot afford fish
or animal flesh.
Roy and Rao (1957) conducted
a dietary investigation of the Muria in the Bastar district in southeastern
Madhya Pradesh in central India. Muria
is a term under which all of the primitive tribes of the district are grouped. Agriculture is the main source of income,
which varies between Rs. 70 to Rs. 150
per year. One-third of families are
landless and work mainly as laborers, many on road-building. The main dietary staples are rice (primarily)
and millets. Pulses and leafy vegetables
are grown, with surplusses sold in the local markets. Adult goats, pigs and poultry average 2.6,
1.2 and 3.5 head per family. Family
units average 6.6 members. Some foods,
including fruits, vegetables and tubers are collected from the forest. The authors summarized the diet as monotonous
and nutritionally very unsatisfactory, lacking in animal protein, calories,
calcium and certain vitamins. They
emphasize that the Muria do not get enough animal meat: "They cannot afford to kill their
domestic animals very often. These are
generally sacrificed on festive occasions.
Not a single family was found to consume meat regularly." Eggs are not eaten, but are hatched to get
the chickens.
Roy and Rao state that:
The
people are very fond of some kinds of insect larva known as `chind kira.' The date-palm is known as
"chind." These yellowish white
larvae, each weighing about 50.0 gm., are collected from young date-palms. Larvae of bees are also eaten. Eggs of ants are collected from the leafy
nests and considered as a delicacy.
`Gurmuri kira' which is collected from its nests by holding a lighted
torch, is also eaten by many of the tribal people.
As to preparation, the authors say:
Insect
larvae (chind kira or gurmari kira) are mostly fried. 'Chind kira' is said to be very tasty. The tribal people put the fatty larvae (chind
kira) simply on a hot pan the larvae are fried in their own fat....There are interesting
ways of eating ants. Ants captured from
the nests in the trees are covered and tied up in cups made of leaves and
roasted while covered up in the leaf cups.
After the ants have been roasted, these are squeezed into a paste and
baked with salt and chillies to make a 'chutney.' Sometimes these are killed and dried in the
sun. Sun dried ants are powdered and
stored for future use. The powder, which
is very sour to taste is used for the preparation of vegetable and meat curry.
Maxwell-Lefroy (1971) asks why insects
are not more widely eaten by the "civilized" portion of mankind, then
states:
It is pure caprice and we know that many insects are excellent and nourishing food. . . the subject rests in darkness precisely because the people who practice this habit are not those of whom much is known or whom civilisation reaches: we fear that the spread of civilisation will lead to the total abolition of these interesting practices before we know about them, to the detriment of a later generation which will have to rediscover by experiment which are and which are not, good to eat . . .