Practices of entomophagy and entomotherapy in Bangladesh

Abstract

Aspects of entomophagy and entomotherapy of ethnic people in Bangladesh are documented as this practice is believed to ensure future food security. A comprehensive survey was conducted involving six insect-consuming ethnic groups: Garo, Chakma, Tanchangya, Marma, Mro, and Tripura. A total of 36 insect species of 19 families and 7 orders were consumed by them. In terms of species, those of the Coleoptera ranked highest (14), followed by Hymenoptera (7), Orthoptera (5), Hemiptera (5) and Blattodea (3 species); one species each belonged to Ephemeroptera and Odonata. The field cricket (Brachytrupes sp.), short-horned grasshopper (Oxya sp.) and giant water bug (Lethocerus indicus) were most preferred, reaching respective acceptance levels of 84, 83, and 79% by the respondents of all ethnic groups taken together. The total number of species used as human food by the Chakma, Marma, Mro, Tanchangya, Tripura, and Garo was 32, 22, 29, 21, 26, and 14, respectively. Nine species were used to treat coughs, fevers, nocturnal emissions, burning and gastroenteritis. People gathered the insects mainly from the insects’ natural habitat and consumed them as snacks or part of a meal. The availability of edible insects depended on the season. Despite consumer demand, insect consumption is decreasing, apparently due to the unavailability of insects because of the random application of pesticides and fertilisers. The top three entomophagy constraints include lack of knowledge to farm insects, to harvest them, and to effectively store and preserve them. By overcoming these constraints, practices of entomophagy might play additional role in increasing future food security in Bangladesh through developing edible insect industry.