Traditional Knowledge of the Utilization of Edible Insects in Nagaland, North-East India

Located at the north-eastern part of India, Nagaland is a relatively unexplored area having had only few studies on the faunal diversity, especially concerning insects. Although the practice of entomophagy is widespread in the region, a detailed account regarding the utilization of edible insects is still lacking. The present study documents the existing knowledge of entomophagy in the region, emphasizing the currently most consumed insects in view of their marketing potential as possible future food items. Assessment was done with the help of semi-structured questionnaires, which mentioned a total of 106 insect species representing 32 families and 9 orders that were considered as health foods by the local ethnic groups. While most of the edible insects are consumed boiled, cooked, fried, roasted/toasted, some insects such as Cossus sp., larvae and pupae of ants, bees, wasps, and hornets as well as honey, bee comb, bee wax are consumed raw. Certain edible insects are either fully domesticated (e.g., Antheraea assamensis, Apis cerana indica, and Samia cynthia ricini) or semi-domesticated in their natural habitat (e.g., Vespa mandarinia, Vespa soror, Vespa tropica tropica, and Vespula orbata), and the potential of commercialization of these insects and some other species as a bio-resource in Nagaland exists.