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