Toebiters for dinner?
Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 1:01 PM
They had these at the local Asian market
Daniel
St. Petersburg, Florida
http://www.shirtsofbamboo.com/
Product of Thailand: Toe-Biters
Thanks for sending in the wonderful photo Daniel, but you neglected to tell us how many servings of this Thai delicacy you and Lisa had for dinner.
Found in some leaves
Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 7:09 PM
I found my dog attacking one of these last night and it sure does look like a scorpion to me, but living in Indiana I have been led to believe that they are not native to this area. We have recently had a lot of water activity and this was found nighttime on cement…i think they are living in some leaves that blew onto the cement. I would really like to get at least an idea of what type of bug this is.
Ashley H.
North Eastern Indiana
Crayfish Carnage
Hi Ashley,
This is a Crayfish or Crawfish, or Crawdad in the South, a freshwater Crustacean that can survive on land, in damp conditions, that is found throughout much of the U.S. We are uncertain if the mortal wounds were inflicted by your dog or by you, but we are posting this image to our Unnecessary Carnage page nonetheless. Crayfish are edible and taste much like lobster.
Ed. Note: 30 November 2008
Since we heard about other Southern Californians noticing the swarming Western Subterranean Termites over the past few days, we decided they would make an excellent Bug of the Month for December 2008
27 November 2008
Today while splitting wood at our Mount Washington, Los Angeles offices, we noticed the Western Subterranean Termites, Reticulitermes hesperus, emerging from the logs at the bottom of the wood pile. After two days of heavy rain, the late autumn sun triggered the nuptial flight. With the sun so low in the sky, the feeble flying swarm filled the air for several hours, emerging from nearby properties as well as our own. Charles Hogue has written in his wonderful book, Insects of the Los Angeles Basin: “on warm sunny days following the first autumn rains, swarms of the winged adult forms of this termite are commonly noticed emerging from frame houses, fence posts, and other wooden structures that touch soil. The species has a high humidity requirement, which forces it to maintain contact with the ground, traveling up and down between its subterranean galleries and the wood through protected cracks in mortar or concrete foundations, or through earthen tubes that it constructs from soil, saliva, and chewed bits of wood. In Los Angeles and much of the West, this is the species that causes the greatest damage. It is probably safe to say that the majority of older houses in the Los Angeles area are infested to some degree with this termite. In general, however, damage is not noticeable until tunneling activity has proceeded to the point of weakening structural members in stressed areas, such as flooring and stairways. Severe damage requires a period of years to develop: our termites do not reduce a house to a pile of sawdust overnight! Homeowners are urged to have periodic inspections to determine the presence of termites. This is simply good insurance and should be done regardless of how many preventative methods were employed in the original construction. This species is distinguished from others that are prevalent in the basin by the black heads of its sexual forms, its earthen tubes, and the fact that it does not make pellet piles. Its tunneling pattern is also different: the workers attack wood only in the soft spring growth region of the annual rings. Thus a cross-section of an infested timber shows a characteristic pattern of concentric circles or arcs.”
Western Subterranean Termites Swarming
Slaters Nutrition
Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 1:08 AM
Hi There
Do slaters have omega 3 fatty acids
I’m planning for peak oil
Edward
Tasmania
Slater
Hi Edward,
We believe David Gracer would be better qualified to answer your questions about the nutritional value of a Slater or Sea Louse, a Marine Isopod. We can’t help but wonder if you are contemplating an appearance on the television series Survivor or just planning for a global disaster with the accompanying food shortage.
Greetings,
Yes, I’ve eaten these guys, and theyíre not bad. I can’t speak to individual species [I never keyed mine out], but there ís a history of documentation on the consumption of woodlice, rolly-pollies, pillbugs, and sowbugs, all of which are terrestrial isopods like this one here. Holt discussed them briefly in his landmark 1885 ìWhy Not Eat Insects?î According the English folk medicine belief in the doctrine of signatures, these isopods were used as medicine because some species rolled into a pill shape. Despite its own disclaimer, this URL features a few recipes.
http://www.geocities.com/~gregmck/woodlice/recipes.htm
Next year I may well farm these ëbugsí in a fishtank environment, and try these preparations for myself.
Best,
Dave
Blue Cicada?
Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Blue Cicada?
This little guy was found near a stream near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northern Virginia. It is about .75 of a centimeter. Has the eyes and wings of cicada, I think. Blue and Red stripes are unique.
thanks, Don
Neersville, VA stream
Unknown Treehopper
Hi Don,
These are Treehoppers, and Treehoppers are related to Cicadas. Treehoppers are in the family Membracidae and Cicadas are in the family Cicadidae. Both are in the superfamily Cicadoidea. We tried searching the entries posted to BugGuide for the family Membracidae, but we could not find a match to your specimen. Perhaps some reader will be able to provide an answer.
Unknown Treehopper
Update: October 27, 2008
We just received a comment from a reader raising the possibility of this being an Oak Treehopper. We noticed the similarity in coloration when we searched BugGuide, but we neglected to read the information on the species, Platycotis vittata. We overlooked the possibility as the images on BugGuide of adults all have a horn, but the information states: “Grayish spotted with yellow, or turquoise with red stripes and red eyes. With or without a thorn-like horn” and “There are four named varieties and several other color variations, and some individuals lack the pronotal horn.”
Ew. Bug.
Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 7:52 PM
So, I’m a sophomore college student in central Ohio. Until recently, I’ve enjoyed residing in the recently renovated dorm on campus. But about 2 or 3 weeks ago, these bugs started showing up, and have made my residence less enjoyable. The first time I found one, I figured it just hitched a ride on my back pack and jumped off when I set my bag down (that’s where I found it the first time – behind my back pack). Then I found another one when my parents picked me up for fall break. And, later, another one FLINGED itself at me while I was putting on make up (it missed, luckily, and landed on my vanity instead of me). A couple days later, I found ANOTHER ONE in front of my fridge. And just tonight, one flew by my head as I was practicing sight singing and landed on my piano.
Sorry the picture isn’t that great. My friend took it. She’s an English major – not a Photography major. There is a reason for that. The bug is probably about a half an inch (maybe smaller?) in length, brown, and smells when you squish it (sorry, bug lovers).
I am not a bug person. Any type of bug freaks me out (unless it’s tiny and cute – like a lady bug, or a very very very tiny spider). If you could tell me what kind of bug this is, and why it likes to hang out in my dorm room so much (my guess is that it wants some place warm to stay, since it’s getting colder outside. They weren’t showing up when it was 70-80 degrees outside – but I’m not an insect expert, so I wouldn’t know), and maybe what I could do – if anything – to keep it from coming back, that would be fantastic!
Thanks!
Laura
Dayton Ohio
Cockroach
Hi Laura,
Sorry to say, but you have Cockroaches in your dorm. Thanks for submitting a thoroughly charming and entertaining letter. Your friend should take a photo class to make friends in the darkroom and improve her photo skills.
Big Beetle
Hello Bug Man!
My husband and I came across this beetle while camping in San Diego county. It was early August, 2005 and this bug flew into our camp two nights in a row, but we only saw it at night. I didn’t see anything that resembled this one in your “Beetle” section. It was also very hard and heavy… at least it sounded that way when it would land.
BTW… LOVE this website!!
Excitedly Awaiting a Response!
San Diego, CA
California Root Borer
Hi Excited,
Your large beetle is a California Root Borer or California Prionus, Prionus californicus. The antennae on your specimen indicates that it is a male. Our edition of Charles Hogue’s Insects of the Los Angeles Basin indicates that adults emerge in early summer. The late appearance of this specimen might be a sign of impending climactic changes. The California Root Borer is attracted to lights. The large grubs were eaten by Native Americans and there is a growing interest Entomophagy, of the consumption of insects, so we will also file your letter under Tasty Morsels, our Edible Insect section.
I Want My Wife Back, I Bugged Her with a bug
This has got to be the strangest jumping – stinger tailed – almost grass hopper I’ve ever seen. It does not have wings, has a long stinger looking thingie with something else protruding out of its hind end above the long stinger. Perhaps that is a suit case or is it just me wondering if my wife will ever return to our mountain Cabin in Utah with those things crawling around. I saw this critter crawling on the ground and naturally called my sweetie to come and have a look at it. When it jumped, she did too and hasn’t quit slapping her legs with her hands ever since for fear there are others crawling up her pant legs. I put it in a plastic cup and it climbed right up the side. I figure I’ll be rather famous for discovering this never before seen bug (at least by us) and could use the notoriety as I’m not too tallented in any other area. I’m not too good of a cook and I’m going to get pretty hungry up there if you don’t respond and tell her it is completely harmless. If you’ve never seen one either, just lie a little so I can get her to cook up some grub, and I don’t mean worms. Either way, she won’t believe me when I explain to her that it is quite tame and slow moving. There she goes, slapping at her legs again.
Wasatch Mountains, Oakley, Utah
Cabin Fever and Slap Happy, NOT!
Mormon Cricket
Dear Cabin Fever and Slap Happy, NOT!,
You should have learned in the third grade not to chase girls with spiders and snakes and Mormon Crickets, but we believe we can provide you with enough historical information to entice your wife back to your rustic cabin. Your Shield-Backed Katydid known as a Mormon Cricket, Anabrus simplex, though BugGuide indicates there are other members in the genus and exact identification may be difficult with the examination of the specimen. Legend has it that when the first Mormons arrived in Utah in 1848, they were saved from famine when seagulls suddenly appeared and ate the swarm of Mormon Crickets that was about to devour the first wheat crop. The Wikipedia page on the Mormon Cricket has plenty of good information, and you might also want to visit the Wikipedia page on the Miracle of the Gulls. With regards to the “stinger” you mentioned on your specimen, it is actually the ovipositor of the female Mormon Cricket. She uses the ovipositor to deposit her eggs deep in the soil. Since Wikipedia mentions that Native Americans consumed the Mormon Cricket, we will include it on our edible insect page and we expect that David Gracer, whose Sunrise Land Shrimp webiste is devoted to edible insects, will probably add a comment to this posting. Should you and your wife be living in your secluded cabin after a natural or man-made catastrophe (is there really a difference these days?), you may need to survive by eating the Mormon Crickets. Your wife may want to begin experimenting with the culinary possibilities soon. Should your wife not return to you, you may be eating these succulent morsels yourself. It appears as though the individual in your photo has been injured.
Update: David Gracer’s Input
Hi Daniel,
Congratulations on your overhaul. It must have been a lot of work. Regarding those crickets/katydids, this species might have been the most important kind of edible insect traditionally utilized by American Indians. Euro-American observers have written many pages describing the collection methods and preparation techniques concerning this species; nearly all of that documentation occurred in the mid 1800s. I’m told that the ones which have eaten cultivated alfalfa taste a good deal better than those which have consumed wild sagebrush, but thus far I haven’t had the opportunity to sample this species for myself. Best regards, Dave
Mexican Edible Leafcutting Ant (wingless) in Cuernavaca, Morales, Mexico
Hi! I wrote you guys a few weeks back with these pictures, and i couldn’t figure out what kind of giant ants these were. I’ve now shrunk the pics down a little to make them more email friendly, and I was just re-skimming your site when I came across the Mexican Edible Leaf-Cutter ant. One reader (Diego) mentioned that he’s never been around to see them shed their wings before burrowing and starting a new colony. I was lucky enough to come across hundreds of them and I snapped a few pics… Had I known they tasted like bacon and pistachios I would’ve scooped a few up… Enjoy the pics!
Sorry we were unable to respond to your initial letter, but we are happy you identified your Mexican Leafcutter Ant without our direct assistance.
Plate of Edible Bugs – locust pizza, tarantula, cricket cookies
I’ve been looking through your Edible Insects page and absolutely loving Dave’s comments. Although I’ve not eaten any insects (or arachnids), at least not knowingly, I’m not squeamishly opposed to the thought. I’m fascinated by the variety of bugs eaten and by the ways they are prepared. Anyway, I came across this fabulous display at an insectarium in St. Louis this weekend, and I thought it would fit nicely on your edible insects page. Thank you for all the time you put into this website. It’s very informative and full of wit (specifically unnecessary carnage page).
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
We are happy you appreciate our sometimes questionable sense of humor. We are thrilled to post your awesome epicurian sampler plate.
made me late to work today
Brown wings underneath. I’m in Eversly, UK on business I threw it outside after taking a couple of pics. What was it?
We have to confess that posting letters to our site has made us late for work on more than one occasion. Glad to hear it has the same effect on our readership. This is a Cockchafer, also known as a Billy Witch. Read more on Wikipedia.
Edibility Update: (05/12/2008) Cockchafers: Totally Edible
Greetings Daniel,
Hope things are good with you. Cockchafers are one of the few European insects with a history of consumption — both the grubs and the adults. This is from the classic “Why Not Eat Insects?” published in 1885 by Vincent Holt: Literally tooth and nail we ought to battle with this enemy, for in both its stages it is a most dainty morsel for the table. . . . Again I endorse from personal experience. Try them as I have; they are delicious. Cockchafers are not only common, but of a most serviceable size and plumpness, while their grubs are, when full grown, at least two inches in length, and fat in proportion . . . . What a godsend to housekeepers to discover a new entre to vary the monotony of the present round! . . . Here then, mistresses, who thirst to place new and dainty dishes before your guests, what better could you have than ‘Curried Maychafers’ – , if you want a more mysterious title, ‘Larvae Melolonthae a la Grugru?’
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Big ol’ centipede?
I found this big critter right outside my front door this morning. I found your site a short time later – and think it just an Austin Texas sized multi-colored centipede. I saw a few really good pictures on similar ones on your site, but didn’t see many that provided a good indicator of the overall size, so I’ve attached a picture of it on a one dollar bill with bricks in background. Please let me know if I did a bad thing by putting it back in the flower bed. Thanks,
Steve W
Hi Steve,
You really know how to “do the right thing” and releasing your gorgeous Giant Red Headed Centipede, Scolopendra heros, is an excellent example. It is true that centipedes are venomous, and the bite of the Giant Red Headed Centipede is said to be quite painful, but the species is a valuable predator in the ecosystem that will rid your garden of many unwanted creatures. Centipedes are not aggressive and will not bit a human unles mishandled or otherwise provoked.
Edibility Update: (05/08/2008)
Edibility update: big centipedes!
Hi Daniel,
Sometime this year I’m going to finally dine on one of these large centipedes. They’re traditionally consumed in…. in….. well darn it, of all the edible insects/arachnids/other arthropods I’ve learned about, I can’t recall exactly where it’s eaten. I’ll hazard Peru. More importanly, David George Gordon’s Eat-A-Bug Cookbook features a recipe, so that makes it totally legit. All the best,
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Hero Swamp Darner?
Hello! My name is Sarah-Ellen Leonard and I’ve been checking your site daily for about 6 months now. The volume of information is impressive, as is your ability to give feedback so rapidly. You have helped me with mealybug infestations and calmed my fears about cicada killers. I haven’t had anything to send in until now: a hero swamp darner, if I have read your site correctly. My coworker here at the University of Illinois found him/her on the sidewalk this morning. He/she is almost exactly 3″ long (sorry for the lack of size reference in the photo!) and occasionally twitches in a feeble fashion. I’m afraid this lovely creature may well be a goner. I just thought a nice image of those lovely eyes would be a worthy addition to your site. Thanks for everything!
Sarah-E
Hi Sarah-E,
Thank you for your kind words of support. We believe you have correctly identified this Swamp Darner, Epiaeschna heros. There are many images on BugGuide to support this identification. While it is sad your specimen will soon expire, at least you got a wonderful photograph of a magnificent insect.
It’s Edible: Sky Prawn
(05/01/2008) Edibility update: dragonflies
Hi Daniel,
Happy May Day. Gorgeous photo of that swamp darner. Not so long ago dragonflies were a popular food in Indonesia, where they’re known as ’sky prawn.’ They’re eaten in both nymph and adult forms, but the former must be cooked because it may be a transitory host of a liver fluke. In old Japanese folklore dragonflies are the steeds of dead spirits.
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Cool Bug
If you know anything about bugs in Australia we would love to learn what type of critter we have here. At first I thought it was a dead leaf which had blown off of a clump of eucalyptus branches I had just cut for my possums…. until I saw it crawling up the spare possum box on the front verandah! NO idea what it is but I kept a safe distance as the scorpion-style tail looked somewhat threatening! Thanks
Tom
Hi Tom,
This is some species of Phasmid, commonly called Walkingsticks, Stick Insects, or in the case of your specimen, probably a Leaf Insect. We have not had any luck identifying the species. Perhaps our loyal reader Grev, who often comes to our rescue with unknown Australian specimens, will have better luck scouring the internet than we have had. Leaf Insects do not have stingers, and the posture of the tail end is display only.
Update: (04/28/2008) Unknown stick insect from Australia
Hi Daniel,
Extatosoma tiaratum, Spiny Leaf Insect, is a member of the Phasmid family. See: http://miller.emu.id.au/pmiller/books/stick-insects/phasmatodea/phasmatidae/tropidoderinae/extatosoma/index.html … Kind regards,
Grev
Update: (04/28/2008) That Unknown Australian Leaf Insect
Hi Guys,
most likely your stick/leaf insect is Macleays Spectre, Extatosoma tiaratum Here is a reference link with pic http://miller.emu.id.au/pmiller/books/stick-insects/phasmatodea/phasmatidae/tropidoderinae/extatosoma/tiaratum/index.html regards,
Trevor Jinks
Queensland
Edibility Update: (04/29/2008) Australian phasmid: edible!
Hi Daniel,
Hope your semester is wrapping up well. Extatosoma tiaratum is among the walkingsticks and leaf-insects consumed in Papua New Guinea. They’re also a popular display species in the Insectarium world, and among amateur invertebrate-keepers. Best,
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Help with ID, possible Metallic Wood Boring Beetle in Brazil
Hi Daniel!
First off, great website! I am writing to congratulate and say that I have posted a video a while ago of a strange big beetle found on my parents house in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Attached are some stills of the beetle, some of them are on flickr as well. I had no idea if the insect was a cockroach or a beetle and on the comments for that video I was pointed to your website, where I could find some similar beetles photos, I am suspecting it was something similar to this other 2
Fabricio
Hi Fabricio,
Your beetle is indeed one of the Metallic Wood Boring Beetles in the family Buprestidae. We believe it may be Euchroma gigantea but we might be wrong. Perhaps one of our readers knows for sure.
Update
Daniel:
You are correct in your species ID of the giant buprestid. I’ve never seen a live one, that must really be something!
Eric
Update: (04/06/2008)
Edibility update: big buprestid
Daniel,
Hope things are good with you two. The big wood borer is eaten in both the larval and adult stages. Here’s a source and pertinent text. http://www.food-insects.com/book7_31/Chapter%2007%20Colombia.htm Dufour (1987 ) reported E. gigantea among the foods of the Tukanoans. The Tukanoan name for it is boopica . This, plus other coleopterans used were all woodboring; the larvae were preferred although adults were occasionally eaten as well. The dry weight of the adult beetle was found to be 3.0g. Best,
Dave
White Fat Grubs? Pics included!! Please respond ASAP!! Thanks!
While chopping wood in December, my dad stumbed upon 3 huge white grubs. I wrote you guys immediately but got no response. I wound up keeping them. When my dad gave them to me, they were out of their holes due to my dad cutting them (the holes) in half. The next day, they had knawed back into the wood and covered the opening with what I’m guessing is a mix of saliva and wood shavings. Now as it is almost April, I was wondering what this grub (or insect) is before they pop out of their cacoons. If I shake the wood slightly, I can feel them moving about. Characteristics: Off white VERY small head Black line running down back 6 small, almost nonexistant legs right behind head Thanks!! I hope they are some sort of beetle!!!
Cammy
Hi Cammy,
Sorry we didn’t get to your first request. These are Cerambycid Beetle Grubs, or more specifically, Prionid Grubs. Not sure what species as you did not identify the tree nor your location. Your photo is awesome.
The grubs came out of a water oak (similar to a live oak) in Tampa Florida. The species name would be greatly appreciated.
Cammy
Our best guess is Prionus imbricornus, the Tile Horned Prionus, which ranges in Florida and feeds on oak as well as other trees, shrubs, vines, and according to BugGuide, maize. This is a large and handsome beetle.
Eating Insects
Hi,
I guess that you would post this in your eating insects forum. I spent 8+ years in Japan. I learned (on my own) to enjoy insects as edible fare. The giant department stores there often sold large insects as pets. One type often sold was the larvae and adults of the giant Japanese Rhinoserious beetle (Tripoxylus Dichotomous) I used to buy the larvae (they look like humongouse garden grubs) and would boil them in water, before placing them in jars of alcohol to preserve them. (boiling them helps keep their natural white color when you pickle them.) Well, while boiling them, they smelled so good that I decided to eat some! Here’s what I did: After boiling, I would slice them open and remove the central gut with its digested wood. Then I would cut off the too-crunchy head and six legs. The remaining white body I would dip in hot, melted butter with lemon juice, and enjoy! Yum! The flavor is like a cross between escargot and frog-legs…a sweet, earthy flavor. I also enjoyed the sweet, white bodies of Brood-X, 2004 Periodical cicadas, just after they’re emerging from their underground nymphal shells. I would collect these and sauteé them in garlic butter. Cicadas are extremely clean insects, only drinking tree-juices, and have wonderful sweet flesh.
OK, heres another treat I enjoyed while living in Japan: Dragonfly thoraxes! There were billions of dragonflies flitting around all the ponds there and I netted dozens and dozens of them for my meals. Pop-off the heads, legs, wings, and abdomens, and the thorax is nothing but powerful wing-muscle meat…Extremely delicious and flavorful. Sauteé these in butter and enjoy the sweet, tender flesh which is true red-meat.
I have tried other commonly-eaten insects but don’t really like them: Grasshoppers have an ugly taste, as their guts are filled with their meals and their "spit" which is untasty to me. Ants tend to be sour, what with their formic acid and all. Caterpillars have a wierd taste, like the smell of brand-new rubber garden-hoses. However, Japanese silk-worm moth larvae are good, with their almost tea-like flavor. Remove the heads and six true-legs for a softer-fare. I DO recommend Tenebrio (domestic meal-worm beetle larvae and the larger "super-worm" Tenebriads) as they eat clean grains fed to them and have a sweet grainy taste. Delicious, cooked or sauteéd. Cut off their heads and legs to remove some of the "crunch". I have tried eating tarantulas too. But to me, only the ‘thorax’ portion is edible. The abdomen is filled with the silk-glands and these are too chewy with their liquid silk formula. The taste is quite earthy, but different from their 6-legged relatives. Very "escargot" in flavor, use the same butter formula to cook: Butter, Shallots, garlic, parsley, salt ‘n’ pepper to taste. Insects are quite edible if you can get over the "yuk factor" that is instilled in almost every American!
Fred
Hi Fred,
Thanks so much for your informative letter. If food prices continue to rise, eating insects might seem much more desireable.
Giant Mesquite Bug in Southern Arizona
Hey Bugman!
I found these beautiful bugs at the campground of Sabino Canyon. They were the decorational highlight of a Mesquite tree. What kind of Giant Mesquite Bug might that be? Thanks for any information!
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
These really are called Giant Mesquite Bugs. The species is Thasus acutangulus. The winged specimen in the single photo is an adult, and the nymphs are the brightly colored non-winged individuals.
Hi Daniel,
The large bug Thasus is highly-thought-of in Mexico. I’ve read a good deal about how it’s used there, or at least once was. It’s called “Chamoes” as reported here [under the archaic genus-name Pachilis] and the details include both direct human consumption and as an element of egg-yolk coloration when fed to laying hens. Also mentioned is a crude protein content of 65.4% and fat content of 19.4% Of all the edible insects found in the US this is one of the most sought after — by me! If anyone would like to play the supplier role let’s talk. Thanks,
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Giant Water Bugs
I have enjoyed reading your informational site. I borrowed one of your photos to illustrate the portion of meat I ate when stationed in Thailand in 1969. The Giant Water Bugs were collected under the street lights at the Korat Air Base, in central Thailand. The native guards would roast them over a little campfire. They taught me to stick a bamboo skewer into the abdomen and slowly roast them. They peeled the exoskeleton behind the head to reveal a tasty morsel of white meat. The taste reminded me of a small sweet scallop. The guard did not have me eat the whole bug, but I understand they can be fried or roasted and eaten whole. At the time the locals called them Baht Bugs because the people could sell them for 1 Baht each at the market. The value was 5 cents at the time. That was fairly valuable since a man working hard labor in the hot sun would only make 15 cents per hour. Our guard supplemented his income by collecting dozens of the Water Bugs, putting them in burlap bags.
I forgot to add my name Thanks for maintaining such a great website.
Lucky Ketcham
San Diego, CA
Hi Lucky,
Thanks for the great anecdote. We will post your letter to our Edible Insects page.
deung duong
They farm it in South Thailand. These pictures are from the country in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Are they a larvae or grub? Their natural habitat is infesting coconut trees I was told.
Gary J Chandler
Hi Gary,
In parts of the world, the Red Palm Weevil is a serious agricultural pest. According to the Red Palm Weevil website: “Red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus , has different common names such as coconut weevil, Asiatic palm weevil, or Indian red palm weevil. It is a serious pest for coconut in some Asiatic regions and an important pest for the date palm in the Near East. It was recorded in some Arabian Gulf States during eightieths and then reported as a destructive insect for date palms in Egypt at 1992 (Saleh, 1992; Cox, 1993). ” We believe the insects in your photos are either the Red Palm Weevil or a closely related species. Beetle larvae are known as grubs, and Weevils are beetles, so you can refer to these creatures as either larvae or grubs. They are considered edible in Thailand where many other insects are eaten as well.
