Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 May 29;12(11):2184.
doi: 10.3390/foods12112184.

The Use of Gonimbrasia belina (Westwood, 1849) and Cirina forda (Westwood, 1849) Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Sarturniidae) as Food Sources and Income Generators in Africa

Lufuno Ethel Nemadodzi  1 , Gudani Millicent Managa  1 , Gerhard Prinsloo  1
Affiliations
Review

The Use of Gonimbrasia belina (Westwood, 1849) and Cirina forda (Westwood, 1849) Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Sarturniidae) as Food Sources and Income Generators in Africa

Lufuno Ethel Nemadodzi et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Gonimbrasia belina (mopane worm) and Cirina forda caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) are mostly found in shrubs and trees, from where they are collected as larvae and are widely consumed across southern Africa by rural and increasingly urban populations. These caterpillars are among the most prominent, traded, and economically beneficial edible insects found in Western African countries, but also in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the years, these caterpillars have evolved from being part of the diet in various communities to playing a vital role in income generation. In addition, consumption of G. belina and C. forda caterpillars as potential food sources has gained momentum due to their potential for contributing to livelihoods and mitigating food security challenges across Africa while providing significant benefits to developing countries on a socio-economic and ecological level. Edible caterpillars serve as a good source of rich nutrients such as proteins, fatty acids, and micronutrients and can be used in formulating nutrient-dense complementary foods. However, limited information is available, specifically on different trees that serve as hosts to these caterpillars, as they depend on the leaves as their only source of food. In addition, the review aims to critique and document knowledge on the nutritional benefits, acceptance of the use of these caterpillars as food security, commercial value, and level of acceptance towards the utilization of caterpillars as food sources.

Keywords: African countries; Cirina forda; food security; income generation; mopane worm; nutrition.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stages of the life cycle of Cirina forda showing (a) castor semi looper moth, (b) egg clusters, (c) instar I, and (d) instar V, or mature caterpillar (Nemadodzi L.E., October 2021).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a): Standardized weights of dried caterpillars sold in various-sized containers and small plastic bags, used to calculate the unit-selling price by a small emerging edible caterpillar seller/vendor in Thohoyandou (Nemadodzi L.E., January 2022). (b): Standardized weights of dried caterpillars sold in plastic mugs were used to calculate the unit selling price by a small emerging edible caterpillar seller/vendor in Thohoyandou (Nemadodzi L.E., January 2023).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a): Standardized weights of dried caterpillars sold in various-sized containers and small plastic bags, used to calculate the unit-selling price by a small emerging edible caterpillar seller/vendor in Thohoyandou (Nemadodzi L.E., January 2022). (b): Standardized weights of dried caterpillars sold in plastic mugs were used to calculate the unit selling price by a small emerging edible caterpillar seller/vendor in Thohoyandou (Nemadodzi L.E., January 2023).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cirina forda sold at one of the biggest grocery stores in South Africa (Nemadodzi, L.E., January 2023).
Figure 4
Figure 4
A common South African meal with edible caterpillars (Nemadodzi L.E., October 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Badanaro F., Amevoin K., Lamboni C., Kou’santa A. Edible Cirina forda (Westwood, 1849) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) caterpillar among Moba people of the Savannah Region in North Togo: From collector to consumer. Asian J. Appl. Sci. Eng. 2014;3:15–26. doi: 10.15590/ajase/2014/v3i8/54479. - DOI
    1. Muafor F.J., Le Gall P., Levang P. Improving Rural Livelihoods Through Participative Research on the Domestication and Breeding of the Palm Weevil Larvae (Rhynchophorus Phoenicis Fabr.): The African Palm Weevil Project: Final Project Report. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Bogor, Indonesia: 2014.
    1. Nonaka K. Feasting on insects. J. Entomol. Res. 2009;39:304–312. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00240.x. - DOI
    1. Alamu O.T., Amao O.A., Nwokedi I.C., Oke A.O., Lawa O. Diversity and nutritional status of edible insects in Nigeria: A review. Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv. 2013;5:215–222.
    1. Van Huis A., Halloran A., Van Itterbeeck J., Klunder H., Vantomme P. How many people on our planet eat insects: 2 billion? J. Insects Food Feed. 2022;8:1–4. doi: 10.3920/JIFF2021.x010. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources