Study documents 75 edible beetle species across Northeast India, highlighting indigenous knowledge, nutritional value and conservation concerns.
IMPHAL — A team of researchers led by entomologists of a Bengaluru based research institute –Ashok Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment popularly known as ATREE have documented 75 edible beetle species across Northeast.
Among the 75 edible beetle species,24 species reported as edible for the first time globally and five additional first records of edible use in India, according to a press release issued by ATREE.
The study led by Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan of ATREE and it was published in npj Entomology, a nature group Journal recently, highlights the Northeast region’s rich biodiversity knowledge and the importance of conserving both that knowledge and the beetles’ habitats.
Other members of the research team include Swapnil S Boyane, Aavika Dhanda, AP Ranjith, and T Shantibala.
Among the Northeast, Arunachal Pradesh has 34 species, Nagaland 33 and Manipur 13,as per the study.
"We collected datas during the study period from 2019 to 2021," Dr. Priyadarsanan said when contacted.
The researchers are exploring additional protein sources, including insects as finding nutritious and sustainable sources of animal protein is becoming increasingly important in view of the global population growth.
Moreover, conventional livestock production like poultry and cattle accounts for nearly 14.5% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and contributes to large-scale land degradation and air and water pollution.
Studies suggest insects provide relatively more protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Insect farming is more sustainable, as it produces fewer greenhouse-gas emissions. After all, eating insects is not a new concept.
Indigenous communities in many parts of the world have included them in their food traditions for generations. More than 3,000 ethnic groups across 113 countries consume over 2,205 known insect species from 25 orders and 183 families.
In the Northeast, insects are valued not only as food but also for their cultural and medicinal significance.
For instance, in Nagaland, the Angami community consumed the longhorn beetle larvae (unidentified) to cure pneumonia.
In Manipur, the Mao community prepared a broth of longhorn beetle larvae to cure a cough, the study said.
Stating that consumption of coleopteran(beetles and weevils) groups varied among indigenous communities, the study said, “The Angami and Nyishi communities reported the highest species richness, with 31 and 27 species, respectively, whereas the Meitei community recorded only seven species. The remaining communities, Lai and Apatani, reported five, Mao and Paite reported four species and the Adi community reported three species of beetles.”
The least number of two coleopteran species was reported by the Lotha and Monsang communities, the study added.
The researchers also found significant differences among species in lipids, moisture, ash, energy and mineral content. The study also points to conservation risks.
About 79% of harvesters interviewed reported a decline in wood-boring beetles in the last one decade; among those reporting declines, 63% attributed them to deforestation and habitat loss, while others attributed this to overharvest due to market demand.