Use of insecticides and other capturing techniques of bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima): dietary implications among population of Tubah, Cameroon

Abstract

Worldwide consumption of insects is today regarded as a good source of protein supplementation. This study aims at exploring the dietary factors, cooking, preservation techniques, and harvesting methods of longhorn grasshoppers ( Tettigonia viridissima ). The survey was conducted from September 2016 to January 2017 in Tubah council (North-West Region, Cameroon) using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered to two hundred T. viridissima harvesters. Chi-square was used to compare variables in a particular group for related measured factors. The main objective of the questionnaire was to find out how longhorn grasshoppers were harvested and consumed in the community. The harvesting of grasshoppers included three major techniques: hand picking (53%), trapping (29%) and use of insecticides (18%). Insecticides used (cypermethrin and deltamethrin) are from class II chemical toxicity. Dietary factors focused on: cooking methods (frying, roasting and boiling) and methods of preservation (sun drying and refrigerating). For the local population, grasshoppers constitute a good source of proteins from the month of September to January, but its safety is a concern as far as insecticides are used in harvesting them. Therefore, the population should be educated on the health risks linked to this malpractice method and the local and national authorities informed.