The Geography of Edible Insects in Sub‐Saharan Africa: a study of the Mopane Caterpillar

Illgner, Peter M.; Nel, Etienne

doi:10.1111/j.1475-4959.2000.tb00035.x

Cited by 111 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…R. differens occur as outbreaks in some years and only then are they gathered for food. The consumption of certain species is confined to some geographical regions, for instance G. maia in Tsholotsho [2,17,18].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey on entomophagy prevalence in Zimbabwe

Dube

Dlamini²,

Mafunga

et al. 2013

AJFAND

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This study was to determine the prevalence of entomophagy in the post independence era (after 1980) in Zimbabwe given that the social status of many families has changed. A cross-sectional non probability sampling was used to determine who ate which insect and how much they ate and where they came from. The availability of each insect was determined at provinces and through key informants. Data were collected through questionnaires and physical visits to all provinces of Zimbabwe to collect empirical data. The population of those that never participated in entomophagy was less than 10% across the age groups in the sampled populations. In the order, Lepidoptera, which comprises several species the larval stages are mostly consumed in the fourth instar after degutting. The caterpillars are known locally as madora. Imbrasia belina was consumed by more than 90% of the respondents. In the order Isoptera Macrotermes sp.[ishwa] were consumed by more than 80% of the respondents. [Nswabanda] are consumed. Records of quantities of insects harvested are here presented. Protein content of fully grown Imbrasia belina done by the Kjeldahl method was 54-58%. Matebeleland province had the highest tonnage of insects, most of which were exported to other provinces even to neighbouring countries. Manicaland harvested the least quantities of insects. Most of those who consumed insects preferred them in the dried form which were said to have improved organoleptic properties. Drying the insects prolonged their shelf life. Food security strategies for Zimbabwe should include management of harvesting and storage of these insects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey on entomophagy prevalence in Zimbabwe

Dube

Dlamini²,

Mafunga

et al. 2013

AJFAND

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“…1) was affected due to overexploitation. Moreover, bush fires, debarking, and the collection of branches and trunks for firewood and construction purposes compromised the caterpillar population (Illgner and Nel 2000). Mopane caterpillars have one generation emerging between November and January and a second between March and May.…”

Section: Edible Caterpillars Threatened In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

Huis

Oonincx

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

661

381

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With a growing world population, increasingly demanding consumers, and a limited amount of agricultural land, there is an urgent need to find alternatives to conventional meat products. Livestock production is, moreover, a leading cause of anthropogenic-induced climate change. To mediate this, more sustainable diets are needed, with reduced meat consumption or the use of alternative protein sources. Insects are promoted as human food and animal feed worldwide. In tropical countries, edible insects are harvested from nature, but overexploitation, habitat changes, and environmental contamination threaten this food resource. Therefore, sustainable harvesting practices need to be developed and implemented. We provide examples of (1) aquatic insects whose populations are threatened by pollution, (2) caterpillar species in Africa that are disappearing due to overexploitation and habitat change, (3) edible insects species that are considered pests in agro-ecosystems, and (4) edible insect species that can be conserved and enhanced in forest management systems. Insect farming can be conducted either on small-scale farms or in large-scale industrialized rearing facilities. We review the environmental sustainability of insect farming compared to livestock production. The major environmental advantages of insect farming compared to livestock production are as follows: (1) less land and water is required; (2) greenhouse gas emissions are lower; (3) insects have high feed conversion efficiencies; (4) insects can transform low-value organic by-products into highquality food or feed; and (5) certain insect species can be used as animal feed or aqua feed. For instance, they can replace fish meal, which is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.However, edible insect species intended for production should be screened for risks to humans, animals, plants, and biodiversity.

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“…They are from the order Lepidoptera and the family Suturniidae [25,26] . They got their name from the Mutondo trees (Isoberlinia paniculata) which are found in Zambia in high to moderate rain fall areas.…”

Section: Isoberlinia Paniculata Worm (Anthoaera Zambezina)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these worms are facing mass extinction due to drought and over harvesting. The local people are not familiar with the life cycle of the worms and the concept of sustainable harvest is not practiced [26] . Information on their reintroduction to these areas or on rearing them on artificial feed are paramount.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Insects as Human Food in Zambia

Ghaly¹

2009

OnLine J. of Biological Sciences

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Problem statement:The life cycle and culture structure of two commonly eaten worms in Zambia (Isoberlinia paniculata and Miombo/Mopani) were evaluated. The worms were grown on an artificial medium to evaluate the potential of producing them on a commercial scale. Approach: An interesting characteristic of the worms studied was that they reached their maximum weight and maximum length at the same time. Results: The larvae started to decrease in weight soon after reaching their maximum size suggesting that they should be harvested shortly before reaching their maximum length (36 days old). Only 10% mortality was observed with the older larvae of the Miombo/Mopani worm. A system where eggs are separated from adults and hatched in separate chambers would alleviate the danger of losing the population due to microbial infection. The high moisture content of the live larvae (60.5-60.9%) could cause handling and storage problems. Drying and grinding the larvae would reduce them to easily manageable forms and would improve their marketability as a novel food. The results obtained from this study showed the potential of using these insects as a protein source for human consumption. They had structured animal protein that contained the essential amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals and energy required for human growth and their nutrition contents are comparable to those of conventional foods. These worms are harvested from trees in Africa but the industry is facing droughts and overexploitation that has lead to local extinctions in several areas. Conclusion/Recommendations: Therefore, further research is required to evaluate their growth on low substrates and to assess the effects of environmental parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, CO 2 and heat production on food consumption and protein yield and quality. This information will aid in the design of an optimal commercial insect production system. Appropriate processing and marketing procedures would also insure the sustainability of the industry.

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The Geography of Edible Insects in Sub‐Saharan Africa: a study of the Mopane Caterpillar

Cited by 111 publications

References 23 publications

A survey on entomophagy prevalence in Zimbabwe

A survey on entomophagy prevalence in Zimbabwe

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

The Use of Insects as Human Food in Zambia

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