Caterpillars
Sago worms of an unidentified species at Siberut Island
Sago worms are one of the food items that come naturally with the Mentawai’s staple food, sago flour. The worms grow in felled palm trunks or saplings. They are not worms but larvae and pupae of the Palm Weevil beetles…
Stinging Nettle Slug Caterpillar in Vietnam
When hiking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve in northern Vietnam, we found a species of Stinging Nettle Slug Caterpillar on a Banana leaf. My local friends got highly nervous when they saw it, and I was intensely warned against touching…
Some important edible caterpillar species in Kongo Central, Part 2
In former articles on this website, we already discussed two edible caterpillar species from Kongo Central. One species was ‘Bisu’ Nudaurelia petiveri, which was described here. And the other species was ‘Kaba’ Lobobunaea phaedusa, described in this article there. Additionally,…
Some important edible caterpillar species in Kongo Central, Part 1
In former articles on this website, two edible caterpillar species from Kongo Central were already discussed. One species was ‘Bisu’ Nudaurelia petiveri, which was described here. And the other species was ‘Kaba’ Lobobunaea phaedusa, described at this article there. In…
Green caterpillars, called ‘Kaba’ in D.R. Congo
The name Kaba is used for several large green caterpillars. Lobobunaea phaedusa can be up to 10 cm long and is usually found singly between October and May. When disturbed the caterpillar contracts in defence. They are sometimes very difficult…
Edible caterpillars Nudaurelia petiveri
This species (Nudaurelia petiveri) is widespread throughout western, central, and southeastern Africa. It appears in Kongo Central in December and January. Up to 200 eggs are laid in clusters on the undersides of young leaves. They hatch after about two…
Collection of edible caterpillars in D.R. Congo
Children are the main caterpillar collectors, though most people while walking in the bush, keep a constant watch for them. Frequently people will bring back young caterpillars and place them on trees near their homes where they can keep an…
Edible Caterpillars for food in Congo
Rural families in Kongo Central find it very difficult to get sufficient protein to eat. Hunting has cleared out most of the larger animals and even many of the smaller animals, such as the cane rat, are now difficult to…
Edible caterpillars in D.R. Congo – an introduction
My first experience with edible caterpillars took place in 1985 when my wife and I lived at Kavwaya near Kisantu in what was then the Bas-Congo province of D.R. Congo. On one occasion I was shown how to hunt for…