Table 3.
Nutritional composition of edible caterpillars consumed in Africa (dry matter basis).
| Family | Species | Protein (g/100 g) |
Carbohydrates (g/100 g) |
Fat (g/100 g) |
Ash % |
Energy (kcal/100 g) |
Fiber % |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notodontidae | Anaphe infracta | 20 | / | 15.2 | 1.6 | / | 2.4 | Guinea-Conakry, Cameroun, DRC, Equatorial Africa |
| Elaphrodes lactea | 53.6 | 1.4 | 21.9 | 3.9–4.2 | 417 | / | Zambia, DRC | |
| Saturnidae | Bunaea alcinoe | 74.3 | / | 14.1 | 2.9 | / | / | Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, Zambia, DRC, Congo, RCA, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tanzania |
| Cirina butyrospermi | 63 | 13 | 14.5 | 5.1 | 432 | 5 | Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana | |
| Cirina forda | 12–74.4 | 1.7–7 | 5.3–20.2 | 1.5–11.5 | 359–410 | 5.2–9.4 | Nigeria, DRC, CAR, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Namibia, Ghana, Togo, Tchad, Cameroon | |
| Imbrasia epimethea | 57.8–73 | 0.9–5.3 | 12.4–23 | 3.3–7.5 | 419–501 | / | Guinea-Conakry, DRC, Zambia, South Africa, Cameroon, Congo, CAR, Zimbabwe | |
| Imbrasi belina | 35.2–56.9 | 7.8–10.9 | 10–23.3 | 6.9–11.3 | 402 | 27.8 | DCR, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi | |
| Imbrasia oyemensis | 23.7–61.6 | 1.5–11 | 19.1–57.7 | 2.6–5.5 | 384–477 | Guinea-Conakry, Cameroon, DRC | ||
| Imbrasia obscura | 62.3 | / | 12.2 | / | / | / | DRC, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Gabon, Mozambique, Namibia | |
| Imbrasia truncata | 54.5–73 | 1.2–11 | 15.2–27.8 | 2.7–5.5 | 418–499 | / | DRC |