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Tag Archives: Edible Insects: Tasty Morsels

Annual Cicada

What could this be and is it dangerous?
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
August 10, 2011 9:49 am
Hi bugman.
Very interesting and informative site. I came across this insect, rather it came across me the other night. I walked out on to my front porch and it appeared to be making a warning noise (clicking) and movements to warn me off. Like it was squaring off to me. A little frightened, I hit it with a flyswatter and then was able to get a photo of it.Now living in North Carolina, there are a lot of insects that I have come across that are so unusual to me that I feel I have joined the ”bug of the month” club. I turned it over to have a look at the underside and noticed what looked to be a stinger looking appendage, but it came back to consciousness and flew away before I could take a picture of the underside.
Any help with identification would be appreciated.
Signature: James in NC

cicada james 300x265 Annual Cicada

Annual Cicada

Hi James,
This is an Annual Cicada in the genus Tibicen.  There are many species in the genus that look very similar, and we are very reluctant to try to identify different species.  You can view some of the possibilities on bugGuide.  We get several identification requests each summer for enormous flies that turn out to be Cicadas.  Annual Cicadas generally emerge in July and August, and because of their resemblance to flies and the time of their appearance, they are sometimes called Harvest Flies.  Annual Cicadas typically spend several years underground as nymphs before emerging and metamorphosing as winged adults.  The name Annual Cicada distinguishes them from the Periodical Cicadas that appear every 13 or 17 years, depending upon the species.  The Periodical Cicadas are also called 17 Year Locusts, though they are not true locusts.  Cicadas are not dangerous, however, like other Hemipterans, they have piercing/sucking mouthparts that are strong enough to pierce young tree stems.  We have received at least two reports of painful bites from Cicadas, though in both cases, the bites occurred because of careless handling.  You do not need to fear a Cicada attack, though should you decide to handle them, stay away from the mouth.

Update:  August 27, 2011
Hi Daniel.
Thank you for the timely response. After reading how busy you guys are I guessed it would be days/weeks before I heard back and I do appreciate your effort.
I am not normally a random bug killer but the aggressive behavior in this particular instance brought it out in me.
Just for your information, while up visiting in Canada last summer I ran across phoney wasp nests that claimed to stop other wasps from building nests nearby (within 200feet). I took a chance and bought a paper version and a cloth version. They work. I haven’t had a single issue with nest building wasps since I placed them. Just the occasional solitary variety like the mud-dobber (?). I brought back some for my neighbor this year and she has hung them up now. So we can see if they work or if I just had really good luck. Normally we have several varieties of nests to contend with.
I will let you know in the future how they back up their claim. Now if I could find a harmless way to rid our house of mosquitos and flies… That would be a trick
Regards, James
James Rankine

Thanks for the tip on Wasp’s Nests James.  We will create a unique posting with that information.

Posted 10 August 2011 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Edible Giant Silkmoth Caterpillars from The Republic of the Congo

Caterpillars on the menu
Location: 200km East of Kinshasa
July 29, 2011 12:19 am
Dear Bugman,
Here in Congo there are a few species of caterpillars which are harvested, smoked and sold for food in the local markets. The ones in the photo were taken on the Bateke plateau about 200km east of Kinshasa in mid June when they are in season. Can you help us ID the species or at least the genus ? Thanks !
Signature: Nick

kanni cats congo nick 300x206 Edible Giant Silkmoth Caterpillars from The Republic of the Congo

Kanni, or other Giant Silkworm???

Dear Nick,
We are still working on a species or genus identification for you, but we did locate an image online that looked very similar on the African Moths website.  It is the caterpillar of the Pallid Emperor, Cirina forda, and we have found several references to the caterpillar being edible and eaten.  On the World’s Largest Saturniidae website, we learned:  “In Nigeria the larvae are picked from Sheabutter trees, are called ‘Kanni’, and are widely eaten after being boiled and sun dried. In the Congo the larvae are eaten in “Vegetable Soup”, a valuable human food source.“  We also located this pdf of a technical paper entitled The Protein Quality of Cirina forda …  Caterpillar. We are not confident that the identification is correct, and we are contacting Bill Oehlke to see if he can provide any information.  We will copy him on this response as well.

Bill Oehlke responds
Daniel,
They are either Cirina forda or one of the Imbrasia or Gonimbrasia species. I am pretty sure they are Cirina forda
Bill Oehlke

Request from David Gracer
Hi Daniel,
I’d be most grateful if you’d be willing to either send me Nick’s email or forward this inquiry to Nick, who’d submitted the image from Congo.  I’d love to learn what he’s been seeing and if his interest is research-based.  In any case I’m starting to draw material for the next issue of the Food Insects Newsletter and if Nick would be willing to share his images and notes I think that the community of people involved would be most appreciative.  Data on this kind of food resource is always scant at best.
Thanks a lot,
Dave

Daniel,
Thanks much for the information on the caterpillars.
David,
I would be happy to help with images and research.  I am actually an Oceanographer by training and amateur naturalist.  I am located in Kinshasa and have work sites in Bandundu where the caterpillar pictures were taken.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer in the late 80′s in Bandundu, smoked caterpillars were the most affordable animal protein available to us on our modest stipends.  On our last trip to Bukanga Lonzo, last month,  we stayed at the mission there and the good fathers there prepared a nice dish of caterpillars and stewed cassava greens.  Do tell me what kind of data you need and I will try to get it here in Kinshasa and if not too late, in september-october when I plan to go back to Bandundu to monitor our programs there.
Cheers,
Nick

Posted 29 July 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Great Tiger Moth

What is this moth?
Location: Montana
July 18, 2011 12:21 pm
What is this moth? Thanks for your help
Signature: Laurie

great tiger moth laurie 300x212 Great Tiger Moth

Great Tiger Moth

Hi Lauri,
Your moth is Arctia caja, and in North America it is commonly called the Great Tiger Moth, however in Europe where it is also found, it is commonly called the Garden Tiger Moth.  BugGuide has these remarks:  “This species, formerly common throughout the UK, has steadily declined over the past 20 years, with numbers falling by around 30%. There has been a general movement away from the south and toward the north, with climate change believed to be a contributing factor. Warm, wet winters and warm springs are followed by a decrease in the number of tiger moths the following summer (Conrad et al, 2002). Arctia caja was a favourite with early European collectors, who selectively bred it to create unusual colours and forms.”

Posted 19 July 2011 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (3) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

June Beetle from Turkey

Brown bug with white spots
Location: Marmaris, Turkey (south-west)
July 17, 2011 3:51 am
Hello Bugman,
She has long antennas with wing covers. Hard body, brown with white spots on her. She weeeeks when touched. Otherwise she is quite quiet.
Size: as big as a small finger
Thank you so much,
Signature: don’t mind.

june beetle turkey 300x207 June Beetle from Turkey

June Beetle: Polyphylla fullo

Dear don’t mind,
Your June Beetle is Polyphylla fullo, and she is a he based on the antennae.  The male has much grander antennae which he uses to locate the female.  You can see a similar photo on BioLib.

june beetle turkey 2 300x219 June Beetle from Turkey

June Beetle

Posted 19 July 2011 § Scarab Beetles ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Pandora Pine Moth Caterpillar

Big caterpillar in Cali
Location: South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
July 17, 2011 11:10 pm
We camped In South Lake Tahoe the week of July 9 – 16. Once we got there my daughter
instantly found one of these large caterpillars. Over the next couple of days, we found
them everywhere. We asked the camp host what they were, but she didn’t know. She said in
the twenty years she had been there, that was the first time she saw them.
They average about 3 1/2 inches in length, and about 1/2 to 5/8 inch in diameter. Every
time we found one they were walking on the ground, so we couldn’t tell what they were
eating. By the end of the week, we would only see one or two.
Signature: Eric and Talia, Bughunters

caterpillar california eric 300x206 Pandora Pine Moth Caterpillar

Pandora Pine Moth Caterpillar

Dear Eric and Talia,
We identified your caterpillar as Coloradia pandora pandora, the Pandora Pine Moth according to the Butterflies and Moths of North America website, which states:  “Females deposit eggs in groups on pine needles or on the tree trunk; eggs hatch within 3-7 weeks. Young caterpillars are gregarious, with 3-5 caterpillars feeding together on the same pine needle. Older caterpillars feed alone. Two years are required to complete development. Second- or third-stage caterpillars overwinter the first year in tight clusters, resume feeding in the spring, pupate in June or July, and spend the second winter in underground pupation chambers lined with silk and plant litter. Some can remain in the pupal stage for up to 5 years before emerging as adults.“  Sadly, there is not a photo of the caterpillar on that website.  Luckily BugGuide has a photo that matches.

Posted 19 July 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Eastern Shieldback Katydid

Bug in Florida
Location: NW Florida
July 8, 2011 6:37 pm
looked like a grasshopper but with a tail. When approached it antenna went wide. When placed on ground it scurried but did not hop. Dogs have been digging in yard lately, it is unusual behavior for them. Could they be digging these up and eating them? If they are eating them are they toxic? I also have kids and wonder if they pose any danger?
Signature: Theresa Lawson

katydid florida theresa 300x219 Eastern Shieldback Katydid

Eastern Shieldback Katydid

Hi Theresa,
This is an Eastern Shieldback Katydid in the genus Atlanticus, which we identified on BugGuide and she is a female as evidenced by her long ovipositor which you have called a tail.  BugGuide states that they are “Said to be strong biters” however, they do not possess any venom, and it is questionable that a bite would even draw blood.  They are not a toxic species, so you don’t need to fear for your dogs’ health should they happen to eat them, nor do you need to have anything to fear if your children eat them.  Many members of the insect order Orthoptera, which includes Katydids, are considered valuable food sources in areas of the world that do not find entomophagy to be repulsive.  There is a movement afoot of late to educate the public on the nutritional value of insects, and David Gracer, a noted expert in the area of entomophagy, frequently notifies us when we post images of insects that are consumed in various parts of the world.  We are going to go out on a limb and tag this as an Edible Insect, and we will copy David Gracer on this response so that he can provide his input.

Hi Daniel and Theresa,
Your tagging of this insect is correct; like just about all North American Orthoptera [I don't know of any exceptions], this species would be entirely edible for dogs or people.  I’ve tried katydids from Florida, as well as lubber grasshoppers; the latter are gamey and not entirely pleasant to eat, but katydids are generally quite tasty [though they spoil very quickly, so they must be fresh].
I’m making good progress on securing a commercial source of processed katydids from Uganda; they are are called Nsenene there, are in the genus Ruspolia, and are quite similar to the American genus Neoconocephalus.  They’re totally delicious, and I’ll make an official announcement on WTB when they are in.
Best,
Dave
www.smallstockfoods.com

Posted 09 July 2011 § Katydids ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Elegant Grasshopper, one of the Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers

brilliant grasshopper
Location: Amani Nature Reserve, Northeast Tanzania
May 18, 2011 3:25 am
The local Swahili name is Ongeda (n-gay-duh), but I have no idea what its scientific name is. Apparently they are occasionally eaten.
Signature: Phil

grasshopper tanzania phil 300x221 Elegant Grasshopper, one of the Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers

Elegant Grasshopper

Dear Phil,
Our first impulse was to pose the possibility that this might be a Toxic Milkweed Grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae.  We are especially interested in your statement that they are consumed, which is contradictory to what we would expect.  We haven’t the time to more thoroughly research this at the moment, but perhaps one of our readers will be able to locate a matching image on a credible website.  We love finding beautiful photographs on FlickR, however, any identifications posted there require additional research.

Karl identifies Elegant Grasshopper
Hi Daniel and Phil:
It is indeed a Toxic Milkweed Grasshopper (also Foam Grasshopper) in the family Pyrgomorphidae. I am fairly certain that it is an Elegant Grasshopper (Zonocerus elegans), a short-winged and flightless grasshopper found throughout much of Africa south of the Sahara. They are sometimes also referred to as Rainbow Locusts. They are apparently slow and clumsy, relying primarily on their accumulated toxins for protection from predators. The toxins make them taste bad, although apparently not bad enough to make them inedible for humans. I found numerous references suggesting they are eaten in various parts of Africa. Regards.  Karl

Posted 18 May 2011 § Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Great Southern Brood: Emergent Periodical Cicada

big yellow bug with big black eyes, wait, red eyes
Location: Williamsburg, Va, USA
May 3, 2011 2:48 pm
Hello! Last night I was sitting on my patio with my dog. I was waiting for her to do her business when I heard her sniffing at something. Usually, she would go on about her business but she just kept sniffing at something. So I went to take a look and saw this big yellow bug, a little over two inches. It has a larg abdomen and six legs. On top of it’s head, at first, I thought to be two large black eyes. I looked from another angle and saw that it infact had two red eyes and that the black dots were perhaps a sort of defense pattern. What I found most strange were the slightly transparent, yellow, soft leaf/petal like elements, one on each side of the head that almost looks like a collar. I took a hand shovel to push it a little so test its reaction and it did little to nothing. I tried aggravating it a little so it would walk onto the shovel so I could throw it over the fence. Since I do not know what that insect is capable of, perhaps poisonous if injest ed, I did not want my dog to eat it. Thanks for answering!
P.S. I apologize for the blurryness. I was using my cell phone camera with night vision, it’s very hard to keep absolutely still. I didn’t want to miss the chance of capturing an image.
Signature: Curious Bugger

periodical cicada virginia 300x230 Great Southern Brood: Emergent Periodical Cicada

Periodical Cicada: Brood XIX

Dear curious Bugger,
Despite the extreme blurriness of your photograph, we are quite confident that this is a newly emergent Periodical Cicada thanks to your vivid verbal description.  It is also a member of Brood XIX, the Great Southern Brood, which appear every 13 years and is profiled on this website.  After spending 13 years underground as nymphs, when the soil temperature reaches 64ºF, the mature nymphs rise to the surface en mass and metamorphose into adults, usually at night.  Because their emergence is based on soil temperature, they generally appear in the southernmost reaches of the range first, and as warmer weather reaches the higher latitudes, so do the appearances.  Here is a map of 2011 emergence records.  If you are lucky, you will be treated to one of the most unique and unusual of insect sightings, the mass emergence of thousands of 13 Year Cicadas whose ear-splitting mating calls will fill the trees for about 6 weeks.  During that time, they will provide a bounteous meal for birds, reptiles and mammals that will gorge themselves on the fatty morsels.  They are also considered a delicacy for entomophages of the human sort.  Here is a photo from BugGuide of a newly emergent, teneral member of the Great Southern Brood.  Its wings should have expanded and hardened and its body should have darkened several hours after its emergence.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you so much for your informative response.  So those are the guys that won’t be quiet, ha ha.  Thanks again for the links.

Posted 04 May 2011 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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