Practice of entomophagy by the Bodo community residing in rani area of Kamrup district, Assam

Abstract

The world food production is not being able to keep pace with the growing population, which in turn, is leaving people without complete nutrition. Insects can fill up the space for providing the complete nutrition if it is incorporated in our daily food habits. But it is imperative that the distinction should be clear between edible and inedible insects. This is where the knowledge of the indigenous people plays a very important role. North-east India is home to a large number of traditionally living ethnic communities, who poses a vast knowledge on entomophagy and entomotherapeutic practices. Thus the present study aims to document the practice of entomophagy by one of the earliest ethnic and linguistic community, the Bodos, residing in Rani Area of Kamrup district, Assam. During the study it was found that the people consumed 8 different species of insects belonging to 6 orders, available in daily market, which included aquatic insects such as Lethocerus indicus and Dytiscus marginalis, terrestrial insects such as termites, mole cricket, weaver ant, and larvae of Philosamia ricini, Antheraea assamensis and Bombyx mori