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Entomophagy (/ˌɛntəˈmɒfədʒi/, from Greek ἔντομον éntomon, 'insect', and φαγεῖν phagein, 'to eat') is the practice of eating insects. An alternative term is insectivory.[1][2] Terms for organisms that practice entomophagy are entomophage and insectivore.
Entomophagy is sometimes defined to also include the eating of arthropods other than insects, such as arachnids and myriapods; eating arachnids may also be referred to as arachnophagy.
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Transcription
For centuries, people have consumed bugs, everything from beetles to caterpillars, locusts, grasshoppers, termites, and dragonflies. The practice even has a name: entomophagy. Early hunter-gatherers probably learned from animals that foraged for protein-rich insects and followed suit. As we evolved and bugs became part of our dietary tradition, they fulfilled the role of both staple food and delicacy. In ancient Greece, cicadas were considered luxury snacks. And even the Romans found beetle larvae to be scrumptious. Why have we lost our taste for bugs? The reason for our rejection is historical, and the story probably begins around 10,000 BC in the Fertile Crescent, a place in the Middle East that was a major birthplace of agriculture. Back then, our once-nomadic ancestors began to settle in the Crescent. And as they learned to farm crops and domesticate animals there, attitudes changed, rippling outwards towards Europe and the rest of the western world. As farming took off, people might have spurned bugs as mere pests that destroyed their crops. Populations grew, and the West became urbanized, weakening connections with our foraging past. People simply forgot their bug-rich history. Today, for people not accustomed to entomophagy, bugs are just an irritant. They sting and bite and infest our food. We feel an "ick factor" associated with them and are disgusted by the prospect of cooking insects. Almost 2,000 insect species are turned into food, forming a big part of everyday diets for two billion people around the world. Countries in the tropics are the keenest consumers because culturally it's acceptable. Species in those regions are also large, diverse, and tend to congregate in groups or swarms that make them easy to harvest. Take Cambodia in southeast Asia where huge tarantulas are gathered, fried, and sold in the marketplace. In southern Africa, the juicy mopane worm is a dietary staple, simmered in a spicy sauce or eaten dried and salted. And in Mexico, chopped jumiles are toasted with garlic, lemon, and salt. Bugs can be eaten whole to make up a meal or ground into flour, powder, and paste to add to food. But it's not all about taste. They're also healthy. In fact, scientists say entomophagy could be a cost-effective solution for developing countries that are food insecure. Insects can contain up to 80% protein, the body's vital building blocks, and are also high in energy-rich fat, fiber, and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. Did you know that most edible insects contain the same amount or even more mineral iron than beef, making them a huge, untapped resource when you consider that iron deficiency is currently the most common nutritional problem in the world? The mealworm is another nutritious example. The yellow beetle larvae are native to America and easy to farm. They have a high vitamin content, loads of healthy minerals, and can contain up to 50% protein, almost as much as in an equivalent amount of beef. To cook, simply saute in butter and salt or roast and drizzle with chocolate for a crunchy snack. What you have to overcome in "ick factor," you gain in nutrition and taste. Indeed, bugs can be delicious. Mealworms taste like roasted nuts. Locusts are similar to shrimp. Crickets, some people say, have an aroma of popcorn. Farming insects for food also has less environmental impact than livestock farms do because insects emit far less greenhouse gas and use up less space, water, and food. Socioeconomically, bug production could uplift people in developing countries since insect farms can be small scale, highly productive, and yet relatively inexpensive to keep. Insects can also be turned into more sustainable food for livestock and can be reared on organic waste, like vegetable peelings, that might otherwise just end up rotting in landfills. Feeling hungry yet? Faced with a plate of fried crickets, most people today would still recoil, imagining all those legs and feelers getting stuck between their teeth. But think of a lobster. It's pretty much just a giant insect with legs and feelers galore that was once regarded as an inferior, repulsive food. Now, lobster is a delicacy. Can the same paradigm shift happen for bugs? So, give it a try! Pop that insect into your mouth, and savor the crunch.
In non-humans
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Entomophagy is widespread among many animals, including non-human primates.[3] Animals that feed primarily on insects are called insectivores.
Insects,[4] nematodes[5] and fungi[6] that obtain their nutrition from insects are sometimes termed entomophagous, especially in the context of biological control applications. These may also be more specifically classified into predators, parasites or parasitoids, while viruses, bacteria and fungi that grow on or inside insects may also be termed entomopathogenic (see also entomopathogenic fungi).[citation needed]
In humans
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Entomophagy is scientifically described as widespread among non-human primates and common among many human communities.[3] The scientific term describing the practice of eating insects by humans is anthropo-entomophagy.[7] The eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of certain insects have been eaten by humans from prehistoric times to the present day.[8] Around 3,000 ethnic groups practice entomophagy.[9] Human insect-eating (anthropo-entomophagy) is common to cultures in most parts of the world, including Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Eighty percent of the world's nations eat insects of 1,000 to 2,000 species.[10][11] FAO has registered some 1,900 edible insect species and estimates that there were, in 2005, some two billion insect consumers worldwide. FAO suggests eating insects as a possible solution to environmental degradation caused by livestock production.[12]
In some societies, primarily western nations, entomophagy is uncommon or taboo.[13][14][15][16][17][18] Today, insect eating is uncommon in North America and Europe, but insects remain a popular food elsewhere, and some companies are trying to introduce insects as food into Western diets.[19] A recent analysis of Google Trends data showed that people in Japan have become increasingly interested in entomophagy since 2013.[20]
See also
References
- ^ Deluycker, Anneke (April 2017): Insectivory. In: The International Encyclopedia of Primatology. John Wiley & Sons. 10.1002/9781119179313.wbprim0062.
- ^ Science Direct: Insectivory.
- ^ a b Raubenheimer, David; Rothman, Jessica M. (January 2013). "Nutritional ecology of entomophagy in humans and other primates". Annual Review of Entomology. 58 (141–160): 141–160. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-120710-100713. PMID 23039342.
- ^ Clausen, Curtis Paul (1940). Entomophagous insects. OCLC 807191.[page needed]
- ^ Poinar, G.O. (1986). "Entomophagous Nematodes". Fortschritte der Zoologie. 32: 95–121.
- ^ Domnas, Aristotle J.; Warner, Steven A. (1991). "Biochemical Activities of Entomophagous Fungi". Critical Reviews in Microbiology. 18 (1): 1–13. doi:10.3109/10408419109113507. PMID 1854431.
- ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta (2009). "Anthropo-entomophagy: Cultures, evolution and sustainability". Entomological Research. 39 (5): 271–288. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x. S2CID 84739253.
- ^ "Entomophagy (Eating insects)". Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California (Research). Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta; Menzel, Peter (1998). Creepy crawly cuisine: the gourmet guide to edible insects. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-89281-747-4. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ^ Carrington, Damian (1 August 2010). "Insects could be the key to meeting food needs of growing global population". The Guardian.
- ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta (2009). "Anthropo-Entomophagy: Cultures, Evolution And Sustainability". Entomological Research. 39 (5): 271–288. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x. S2CID 84739253.
- ^ "Insects for food and feed" (Press releases). FAO. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
- ^ Meyer-Rochow, Victor Benno (2009). "Food taboos: their origins and purposes". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 5 (18): 18. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-5-18. PMC 2711054. PMID 19563636.
- ^ Weiss, M. L. & Mann, A.E. (1985). Human Biology and Behaviour: An Anthropological Perspective. Little Brown & Co. ISBN 978-0-673-39013-4.[page needed]
- ^ McElroy, A.; Townsend, P. K. (1989). Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-0742-8.
- ^ Saggers, S. & Gray, D. (1991). Aboriginal Health & Society: The Traditional and Contemporary Aboriginal Struggle for Better Health. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86373-057-0.[page needed]
- ^ Gordon, David George (1998). The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-0-89815-977-6.[page needed]
- ^ Wilson, Charles B. (2015). All Cricket, No Bull... CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1503079649.[page needed]
- ^ Thompson, Addie (7 July 2013). "Want To Help Solve The Global Food Crisis? Eat More Crickets". Forbes.
- ^ Takada, Kenta (31 March 2022). "Do Japanese interest in anthropo-entomophagy become really increased? – Analysis on the Japanese interest using Google Trend (preliminary study)". Bulletin of the Itami City Museum of Insects. 10: 11–14. doi:10.34335/itakon.10.0_11.
Further reading
- Clausen, Curtis Paul (1940). Entomophagous insects. OCLC 807191.[page needed]
- Domnas, Aristotle J.; Warner, Steven A. (1991). "Biochemical Activities of Entomophagous Fungi". Critical Reviews in Microbiology. 18 (1): 1–13. doi:10.3109/10408419109113507. PMID 1854431.
- Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta (2009). "Anthropo-entomophagy: Cultures, evolution and sustainability". Entomological Research. 39 (5): 271–288. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x. S2CID 84739253.
External links
Media related to Entomophagy at Wikimedia Commons
- "Edible insects". New Scientist. 193 (2595): 56. 2007. doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(07)60691-5.
- Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security
- Risk profile related to production and consumption of insects as food and feed European Food Safety Authority 2015
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