Table 3 Inventory of edible insects used by members of the Singpho tribe of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh
Scientific name | Order | Family | English name | Vernacular name | Seasonal availability | Mode of intake | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Termes sp. | Isoptera | Termitidae | Termite | khukan | May- June | Wing are discarded, fried | |
Odontotermes sp. | Isoptera | Odontotermitidae | khukan | May - June | Wings are discarded, fried | ||
Chondacris rosea (DeGeer 1773) | Orthoptera | Acrididae | Short horned grasshopper | Macherie | Sept- Nov | Head, appendages and wings are bodies are discarded and roast | |
Brachytrupes sp. | Orthoptera | Gryllidae | Cricket | Gdun | May- Sept | Head, antennae and legs are discarded and bodies are roasted | |
Brachytrupes orientalis (Burmeister 1838) | Orthoptera | Gryllidae | Cricket | Gdun | May- Sept | Head, antennae and legs are discarded and bodies are roasted | |
Aspongopus nepalensis Westwood 1837 | Hemiptera | Pentatomidae | Bug | Chammah | Dec- Feb | Fried or roasted used after removal of stink gland that tastes bitter | Sometimes consumption causes psychiatric disorder |
Mictis tenebrosa (Fabricius 1787) | Hemiptera | Pyrrhocoridae | Bug | Chammah | April- Aug | Boiled with vegetables | Singpho people reported that these insects are collected from rotten bamboo |
Unidentified | Hemiptera | Cicadidae | Cicada | Machera | April- Aug | Roasted | |
Xylotrupes gideon Guérin-Méneville 1830 | Coleoptera | Scarabaeidae | Beetle | Chingiet | May- July | Legs discarded, roasted or fried | |
Batocera roylei Hope 1833 | Coleoptera | Cerambycidae | Long horn beetle | Chingiet | June- Aug | Antennae and wings discarded, roasted | |
Apis (cerana) indica (Fabricius 1798) | Hymenoptera | Apidae | Honeybee | Lagat | Nov- Jan | Immature stages and honey is being consumed | Honey is used widely as medicinal agent |
Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758 | Hymenoptera | Apidae | Honeybee | Lagat | Nov- Jan | Immature stages and honey are being consumed | Honey is used widely as medicinal agent |
Eumenes sp. | Hymenoptera | Vespidae | Wasp | Katpatkai | Nov- Dec | Generally larval stages are being consumed, when wings are not developed, fried | |
Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius 1775 | Hymenoptera | Formicidae | Red ant | Makhao | Round the year | Pupae boiled or fried |