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Table 4 Inventory of edible insects used by members of the Tangsa tribe of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh

From: Comparative Survey of Entomophagy and Entomotherapeutic Practices in Six Tribes of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh (India)

Scientific name

Order

Family

English name

Vernacular name

Seasonal availability

Mode of intake

Remarks

Aspongopus nepalensis Westwood 1837

Hemiptera

Pentatomidae

Bug

Shiphon

Dec- Feb

Fried or roasted after removal of stink gland that tastes bitter

Sometimes consumption causes psychiatric disorder

Tessaratoma quadrata Distant 1902

Hemiptera

Pentatomidae

Bug

Shipho/ Nagoo

Jan- Mar

Roasted

 

Unidentified

Hemiptera

Cicadidae

Cicada

Kapchera

April- Aug

Roasted

Generally consumed by children

Apis (cerana) indica (Fabricius 1798)

Hymenoptera

Apidae

Honeybee

Yankung/ yakay

Nov- Jan

Immature stages and honey is being consumed; larvae are also being consumed, boiled

 

Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758

Hymenoptera

Apidae

Honeybee

Yakay

Nov- Jan

Immature sages and honey are being consumed

Honey is used widely as medicinal agent

Unidentified

Hymenoptera

Vespidae

Wasp

Yanjung

Oct- Dec

Immature are being consumed

 

Eumenes sp.

Hymenoptera

Vespidae

Wasp

Longli

Nov- Dec

Generally larval stage is being consumed, when wings are not developed, fried

 

Vespa orientalis Linnaeus 1771

Hymenoptera

Vespidae

Hornet

Yandok

Nov- Feb

Immature stages are boiled

 

Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius 1775

Hymenoptera

Formicidae

Red ant

Saisho

Round the year

Larvae and pupae boiled or fried