Ecological diversity of edible insects and their potential contribution to household food security in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has a wide diversity of edible insects making it one of the most important biodiversity hot spots in Africa. The aim of this study was to give the first insight into the food plant range, seasonal availability of edible insects, community preference and willingness to consume them. The study revealed a list of eleven edible insect species belonging to four families. Twenty-six plant species were recorded as food plants of nine edible caterpillar species. Seasonal availability of these insects coincided with the rainy season and was strongly linked to relatively high level of consumption. The caterpillars Elaphrodes lactea Gaede, Lobobunaea saturnus Fabricius and Cinabra hyperbius (Westwood) as well as the termites Macrotermes falciger Gerstacker were the most dominant species of edible insects preferred and consumed among the different communities. Our study demonstrates that entomophagy is a common practice among the ethnic populations with married, tertiary and university-level individuals recording significantly higher consumption of edible caterpillars. Populations between the ages of 18 and 45years as well as the Bemba tribe were also more actively involved in entomophagy. Further research would be necessary to exploit edible insect biodiversity and ethno-entomophagy and initiate actions for food plant conservation in DR Congo.