04/02/2021 Entomophagy and commercially available insects among the Sumi tribe in Dimapur

Entomophagy and commercially available insects among

the Sumi tribe in Dimapur
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By Nagaland Post | Publish Date: 5/17/2020 4:47:14 AM IST

Tihis article is based on excerpts from the research work by Alino Sumi, a Doctoral
candidate and Senior Research Fellow (SRF) of Martin Luther Christian University,
Meghalaya, an awardee of NET JRF & Assistant Professorship and a recipient of the
University Merit Scholarship. The study was conducted in Dimapur District of Nagaland,
with special reference to the weekly local markets in the district. The study was conducted
from April 2018 to April 2019 through in-depth interviews using self-administered
questionnaires. In addition, only the vendors belonging to the Sumi tribe were engaged in
the study. The insects were collected from the local markets and their local names were
identified from vendors and from the Sumi elders in the community. The insects were
preserved following standard methods (Ghosh and Sengupta, 1982) and submitted to
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shillong for identification. The scientific and common
names were obtained from the taxonomic literature and photographs, literature review,
etc.

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04/02/2021 Entomophagy and commercially available insects among the Sumi tribe in Dimapur

The term Entomophagy refers to the consumption of insects as diet. The consumption of
insects as food is as old as the history of mankind and has played a paramount role as part of
human nutrition in many regions around the world such as Africa, Asia and Latin America.
There are about 751,000 known species of insects worldwide, which is about three-fourths of
all species of animals.

Insects are appreciated as food because compared to conventional meat sources; edible
insects contain satisfactorily more energy and protein content, good amino acid and fatty acid
profiles and high contents of a variety of micronutrients and vitamins. Many insects are low
in cholesterol and fat; they are herbivores and have clean eating habits which make them
cleaner than chickens, pigs, and several other conventional protein sources. Most often than
not, most insect consumed are harvested from the wild, or come from the wild and are
gathered for food, hence, they are mostly free from pesticide and other chemical contaminant
which abound in places where conventional source of protein are found.

Entomophagy has, therefore, been advocated worldwide as a source to combat future food
security mainly because of its abundance, high nutrient composition, high feed conversion
efficiency, digestibility and ease with which they can be bred. Furthermore, as a food source,
edible insects can help to uplift the nutritional status of residents of poor developing countries
and at the same time can serve as a complimentary food or food ingredient for developed
countries.

Besides the significance as food, edible insects are suspected to have an impact on livelihood
and social conditions of rural population as gathering and farming of insects could be carried
out with minimal output of technical or capital resources which also gives the poorest
members of the society a possibility to generate income. The nutritional importance of edible
insects and their availability has attracted their consumption by more than 2 billion people on
a daily basis and hence the part played by insects in human nutrition cannot be
underestimated.

According to Das (2019), in India, the North Eastern states of India recorded the highest
insect consumption. With no exception to Nagaland, the Sumi tribe of Dimapur district had
been practising Entomophagy since time immemorial. The Sumi Naga shares a close
communion with their environment and practice natural resource management. Some of the
insects consumed by the Sumis and which are available commercially in the markets are-
silkworm, grasshopper, flying termite, cricket, cicada, stink bug, palm weevil, water beetle,
bee and hornet, the details of which will be discussed further in this paper.

Diversity of Species and its Nutritional value:

Amongst several species, the data collected and identified 11 (eleven) species of insects
belonging to 7(seven) order and 10(ten) family which were available commercially and
consumed by the Sumi tribe in Dimapur district of Nagaland. Out of these, 2(two) species

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04/02/2021 Entomophagy and commercially available insects among the Sumi tribe in Dimapur

belong to order Hymenoptera, 2(two) belong to Orthoptera, 2 (two) belonging to Hemiptera,

another 2(two) belong to Coleoptera and 1(one) each to Lepidoptera, Cicadoidea and
Blattodea.

As surveyed in the study, the stage of consumption differed for each insect, i.e., some were
consumed during the stage of larva, pupa, nymph and adult. In addition, the mode of
consumption also varied-some insects were consumed after being steamed with different
spices and herbs, fried, roasted or smoked. Each household had different mode of preparation
and consumption for the aforementioned insects.

The nutrient contents of the insects were analysed in the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI),
Shillong and the protein estimation of the specimens were done by following the methodology
and protocol of Das et al (2019) and Lowry et al (1951). Carbohydrate estimation was done
by Van Handel method (1985); total lipid was extracted from the whole insect as per the
method of Das et al (2019) and Folch et al (1957). All these data confirms the efficacy of
insects with protein content higher than the carbohydrates and fats, thereby, highlighting the
nutritional value of the insects as alternative source of protein.

The prevalence of Entomophagy is clearly seen among the Sumi tribe; hence, insects have
played a significant role in their nutritional status. Though the people were unaware of the
insects’ nutritional composition and benefits, the insects were used as regular food based on
their availability and not as an emergency food item. However, awareness on over
exploitation and unsustainable harvesting methods are essential to maintain and protect the
biodiversity. In addition, the process of rearing and harvesting needs further exploration and
documentation.

Contributed by, Alino Sumi, Doctoral candidate and Senior Research Fellow (SRF), Martin
Luther Christian University, Shillong

1. Silkworm, Philosomia ricini:

The stage of consumption is pupae and larvae and their availability is from the month of
March-October. The nutritional content is protein 11.1%, carbohydrates 2.5%, fat 5.5% and
moisture content is 48.1%.

2. Rice grasshopper, Heiroglyphus banian:

The stage of consumption is adult and their availability is from June-October. The nutritional
content is protein 13.6%, carbohydrates 2.1%, fat 3.2% and moisture content is 15.6%.

3. Cricket, Meloimorpha cincticornis:

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04/02/2021 Entomophagy and commercially available insects among the Sumi tribe in Dimapur

The stage of consumption is nymph and adult and their availability is from the month of
July- November. The nutritional content is protein 14.4%, carbohydrate 5.0%, fat 5.5% and
moisture content is 35.05%.

4. Cicada, Dundubia intemerata:

The stage of consumption is adult and they are available from June-November. The
nutritional content is protein 18.1%, carbohydrate 4.5%, fat 8.9% and moisture content is
29.3%.

5. Stink bug, Coridius chinensis dallas:

They are consumed at the stage of adults and are available from May- August. The
nutritional content is protein 9.8%, carbohydrate 1.9%, fat 1.1% and moisture content is
13.2%.

6. Palm weevil, Rhynchophorus herbst:

They are consumed at the stage of larvae and are available from the month of September-
November. The nutritional content is protein 20.1%, carbohydrate 3.9%, fat 7.3% and
moisture content is 63.7%.

7. Water beetle/bug, Cybister limbatus:

The stage of consumption is adult and its availability is from July-November. The nutritional
content is protein 20.1%, carbohydrate 3.2%, fat 8.4% and moisture content is 61.2%.

8. Great banded hornet, Vespa tropica:

It is consumed in all stages- larvae, pupae and adult and is available from May- November.
The nutritional content is protein 17.2%, carbohydrate 3.3%, fat 6.3% and moisture content is
57.5%.

9. Honey bee, Apis indica:

It is consumed in larvae stage and is available from May- November. The nutritional content
is protein 15.9%, carbohydrate 3.3%, fat 6.3% and moisture content is 48.9%.

10. Flying /winged termite, Isoptera:

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04/02/2021 Entomophagy and commercially available insects among the Sumi tribe in Dimapur

The stage of consumption is larvae and adult and is available from May- September. The
nutritional content is protein 14.2%, carbohydrate 0.2%, fat 1.3% and moisture content is
24.2%.

11. Giant water bug/beetle, Lethocerus americanus:

It is consumed during the adult stage and is available from April- September. The nutritional
value is protein 9.2%, carbohydrate 1.55, fat 2.1% and moisture content is 29.6%.

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