Edible insects of Northern Angola

By

Lautenschläger, Thea
Neinhuis, Christoph
Monizi, Mawunu
Mandombe, José Lau
Förster, Anke
Henle, Thomas
Nuss, Matthias

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2017-12-8

Original Publication

African invertebrates : a journal of biodiversity research

Volume

58

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

55--82

Subjects

DNA-barcoding , Edible insects , market study , nutritional values , Uíge province

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Council of the Natal Museum 2001-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.58.21083

 

Abstract

From 2013–2017, we accompanied and interviewed local people harvesting edible insects in the Northern Angolan province of Uíge. Insect and host plant samples were collected for species identification and nutritive analyses. Additionally, live caterpillars were taken to feed and keep until pupation and eclosion of the imago, necessary for morphological species identification. Altogether, 18 insect species eaten by humans were recorded. Twenty four edible insect species were formerly known from the country, four of which are confirmed in this study and 14 species additionally recorded. Sciatta inconcisa Walker, 1869 (Erebidae) and Gastroplakaeis rubroanalis Wichgraf, 1913 (Lasiocampidae) are reported for the very first time as human dietary foods. All 18 species are illustrated and DNA-Barcodes are provided to enable re-identification of species. Though much effort has been undertaken for the identification of the 18 species, only 14 species have been identified at species level and another four only at family level. The scientific names are listed along with the vernacular names. A nutritional analysis is provided for nine species most of which are consumed in the villages, but some are also traded, for which a market study has been conducted. Information is also given on traditional collection and preparation as well as cultural aspects of edible insects in Northern Angola.