Catalog of Insects in Human Diets in Southern Campeche, Mexico1

In Mexico, a large number of insects are used by indigenous groups for food, medicine, and the arts. The objective of this research was to review and identify edible insects in communities in the municipality of Escarcega, state of Campeche, Mexico. We conducted a literature review and interviewed residents of 12 communities in Escarcega. The interview consisted of questions about insects that they or others may have consumed, the location of collection of those insects, the times of the year when the insects appear, the methods of capture, and the ways that they were used. We determined that 25 insect species are consumed by humans in the 12 communities studied. In the communities of Constitución and Ej. Km. 74, Brachygastra mellifica Say (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) larvae are consumed year-round. Our results serve as a foundation for future research on the use and production of insects for food in rural and indigenous communities in southern Campeche and represent an initial approach to acquiring knowledge for the use of insects as a food source in Campeche to guarantee food security in such communities.