Why Don’t We Eat Insects?

The world population is huge! Not as big as it could be as I’ve recently been told… but it’s still pretty big. How are we feeding all these people? Well, we have the usual assortments of unhealthy meat, nutritious plants and other foods, but what about things like noisy grasshoppers? The effects of agriculture on our planet are immense and largely overlooked. Insects could be a viable answer. 

Here’s a great TED talk with Marcel Dicke talking about eating insects.

And why not? Scientific American has the low down on entomophagist David Gracer who says that

…a bowl of grasshoppers has more vitamins than beef and is lower in fat.

He also goes on to say that

Our disgust for insects is just cultural… Afterall we eat lobsters, which are arthropods, as are insects.

So now that I’ve tempted you, I’m sure you’re ready to try pick up some sour cream and onion flavored crickets from your local ethnic food store. Or maybe you’re ready to try some recipes. I’ve taken the liberty to find a few good recipes for you.

Here’s a site for all things bug recipe related based in Florida, USA.

And here’s a site dedicated to all insect recipes all the time… There is also a huge list of other places to find insect recipes at the bottom of this site’s page.

So dig in! and try to enjoy!

 

Sources:

TED Talks- Marcel Dicke

David Gracer  via Scientific America

Florida Pest Control

Georgia College’s Insect Recipes

https://wondergressive.com/2013/02/13/the-ugly-face-of-overpopulation/

https://wondergressive.com/2012/09/26/them-cows-is-sweet/

https://wondergressive.com/2012/08/15/edible-landscapes/

https://wondergressive.com/2013/01/11/a-new-tune-for-grasshoppers/

https://wondergressive.com/2012/08/17/the-effect-of-agriculture-on-the-planet/

http://www.amazon.com/Crick-ettes-Cream-Flavored-Cricket-Snacks/dp/B00BD9E1U2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1360857857&sr=8-3&keywords=sour+cream+and+onion+crickets

http://www.flapest.com/recipes.aspx

 

A New Tune for Grasshoppers

The days are long gone when the noise of crickets filled the city nights. I’m sure being overtaken by the sound of traffic was depressing for many animals, but they’re not all just laying down and dying. Some city grasshoppers have started changing their tune. They’re not so depressed anymore, or so quiet.

Grasshoppers in urban areas are changing the tune of their courtship songs so as to be heard over the sound of traffic.

A research team from the University of Bielefeld Germany have discovered some grasshoppers have started to change the frequency of their song to be heard over the roar of vehicles. This evolutionary change in grasshoppers could is very exciting to see. I can only imagine what the future will bring…
Sources:

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/320/20121123/grasshoppers-change-courtship-tunes-cope-urban-noises.htm

http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/(en)/

 

Related Wondergressive Articles:

Why Don’t We Eat Insects?

A Tick is Turning People into Vegetarians for Life

Mystery of the Dying/Disappearing Honeybees Solved

Healthy Honey Bees

Natural, Living Pesticides

Plants Can Cry For Help

 

When predatory insects lay eggs on a plant, the plant will change its scent and structure to attract other bugs that eat those eggs.  They will also preemptively emit scents that ward off known pests.

A research team focused on the parasites of the cabbage plant and discovered that cabbage can very specifically alter its scent and structure in order to selectively attract certain insects.  If a butterfly lays eggs on the cabbage plant, the plant may emit a scent that attracts wasps which like to feed on the eggs.  This is all done well before the hungry caterpillars hatch.

Although it is strange, plants are just as alive and conscious as any other form of life.

For a vast amount of evidence and information regarding plants and consciousness I highly recommend reading The Secret Life of Plants.  It documents a wide range of research in the field of biology on plants that you have probably never even heard of.