Imphal, Oct 25: Researchers have documented 75 edible beetle species across Northeast India, including 24 reported as edible for the first time globally and five recorded for the first time as food in India.
The study, led by entomologists from Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), was published recently in npj Entomology, a Nature Portfolio journal.
Led by Dr Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan of ATREE, the research was conducted between 2019 and 2021.
“We collected data and interviewed people across nine indigenous communities in the region when we conducted our study from 2019 to 2021,” Dr Rajan said.
Other researchers included Swapnil S Boyane, Aavika Dhanda, AP Ranjith and T Shantibala.
The researchers said the findings underline the importance of documenting indigenous knowledge of edible insects and conserving the habitats on which these species depend.
Freshly harvested passalid beetles and larvae. (AT Photo)
The consumption of beetles varied considerably among the communities surveyed. The Angami community reported the highest species richness, with 31 species, followed by the Nyishi community with 27. The Meitei community recorded seven species.
The Lai and Apatani communities reported five species each, while the Mao and Paite communities recorded four each. The Adi community reported three species, and the Lotha and Monsang communities recorded two species each.
The study also highlighted conservation concerns. Around 79% of the harvesters interviewed reported a decline in wood-boring beetles over the previous decade.
Among those reporting declines, 63% attributed them to deforestation and habitat loss, while others cited overharvesting driven by market demand.
The researchers stressed the importance of conserving beetle habitats and safeguarding indigenous knowledge as pressure on ecosystems and demand for forest resources increase.
Beetles and weevils, belonging to the order Coleoptera, represent an important but relatively understudied group of insects consumed by humans.
Their nutritional potential has gained attention as researchers explore alternative protein sources amid population growth and concerns over the environmental impact of conventional livestock production.
Livestock production accounts for nearly 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to land degradation, air pollution and water pollution.
Insects can provide protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, while insect farming generally produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional livestock farming.
The study also found significant differences among beetle species in their lipid, moisture, ash, energy and mineral content.
In the Northeast, insects are valued not only as food but also for their cultural and medicinal significance.
Globally, more than 3,000 ethnic groups across 113 countries consume over 2,205 known insect species belonging to 25 orders and 183 families, reflecting the longstanding role of insects in human food traditions.