Dataset Information

Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya.

ABSTRACT: The promotion of edible insects, including saturniid caterpillars as potential food source is widely gaining momentum. They are adequately rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrients. Despite saturniids being a traditional food source with economic benefits, information on their diversity, host plants and their potential distribution in Africa are lacking, which this study seeks to address. Edible saturniids and their host plants were characterized using specific primers (LepF1/LepR1 and 3F_KIM_F/1R_KIM_R, respectively). Maximum entropy (MaxENT) and GARP (genetic algorithm for ruleset production) models were used to characterize the potential distribution of commonly consumed saturniids under current and future climate scenarios. Seven species of saturniids were recorded from 11 host plants in Kenya: Gonimbrasia zambesina, Gonimbrasia krucki, Bunaea alcinoe, Gonimbrasia cocaulti, Gonimbrasia belina, Gynanisa nigra and Cirina forda. Two morphotypes of G. zambesina and B. alcinoe were recorded. These saturniid caterpillars occur twice a year except for G. cocaulti. Predictive models revealed that tropical and subtropical regions were potentially suitable for B. alcinoe and C. forda. The information generated from this study would be important to guide conservation efforts and their sustainable utilization as food in Africa.

SUBMITTER: Kusia ES

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8305150 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya.

Kusia Elizabeth Siago ES Borgemeister Christian C Khamis Fathiya M FM Copeland Robert S RS Tanga Chrysantus M CM Ombura Fidelis Levi FL Subramanian Sevgan S

Insects 20210701 7

The promotion of edible insects, including saturniid caterpillars as potential food source is widely gaining momentum. They are adequately rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrients. Despite saturniids being a traditional food source with economic benefits, information on their diversity, host plants and their potential distribution in Africa are lacking, which this study seeks to address. Edible saturniids and their host plants were characterized using spec ...[more]

PMID: 34357260

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Project description:Unlike most notodontids, Theroa zethus larvae feed on plants that emit copious latex when damaged. To determine how the larvae overcome this defense, we filmed final instars on poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, then simulated their behaviors and tested how the behaviors individually and combined affect latex exudation. Larvae initially scraped the stem, petiole, or midrib with their mandibles, then secreted acid from their ventral eversible gland (VEG) onto the abraded surface. Scraping facilitated acid penetration by disrupting the waxy cuticle. As the acid softened tissues, the larvae used their mandibles to compress the plant repeatedly, thereby rupturing the latex canals. Scraping, acid application, and compression created withered furrows that greatly diminished latex exudation distal to the furrows where the larvae invariably fed. The VEG in notodontids ordinarily serves to deter predators; when attacked, larvae spray acid aimed directly at the assailant. Using HPLC, we documented that the VEG secretion of T. zethus contains 30% formic acid (6.53M) with small amounts of butyric acid (0.05M). When applied to poinsettia petioles, the acids caused a similar reduction in latex outflow as VEG secretion milked from larvae. VEG acid could disrupt latex canals in part by stimulating the normal acid-growth mechanism employed by plants to loosen walls for cell elongation. Histological examination of cross sections in poinsettia midribs confirmed that cell walls within furrows were often highly distorted as expected if VEG acids weaken walls. Theroa zethus is the only notodontid caterpillar known to use mandibular scraping and VEG acid to disable plant defenses. However, we document that mandibular constriction of petioles occurs also in other notodontids including species that feed on hardwood trees. This capability may represent a pre-adaptation that facilitated the host shift in the Theroa lineage onto latex-bearing plants by enabling larvae to deactivate laticifers with minimal latex contact.

Project description:BackgroundUnderstanding how local communities perceive threats and management options of wild edible plants (WEPs) is essential in developing their conservation strategies and action plans. Due to their multiple use values, including nutrition, medicinal, construction, and cultural as well as biotic and abiotic pressures, WEPs are exposed to overexploitation, especially within arid and semiarid lands, and hence the need to manage and conserve them. We demonstrate how an understanding of indigenous communities' perceptions could be achieved through an integrated participatory approach involving focus group discussions (FGDs) and field plot surveys.MethodsWe conducted three FGDs between October 2020 and April 2021 within three community units in northwestern Kenya with different socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. We subsequently surveyed 240 field plots of size 1 ha each to assess threats facing WEPs within a 5 km buffer radius in every study community. We compared ranks of threats and management options across community units.ResultsRankings of threats and management options differed across the three study communities. We obtained strong positive linear relationships between field and FGD rankings of threats facing WEPs. Climate change, overstocking, overharvesting, and invasive species were the highest-ranked threats. Mitigation of climate change, local knowledge preservation, selection, propagation, processing, and marketing of WEPs ranked high among possible management options irrespective of the socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the community unit.ConclusionsOur approach emphasizes the relevance of leveraging indigenous communities' perceptions and conducting field plot surveys to assess threats and management options for WEPs. Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-benefit implications of implementing the highly ranked management options could help determine potentially suitable habitats of the WEPs for conservation and management purposes, especially for priority WEPs.

Project description:BackgroundMexico is one of the countries with the highest cultural, biological, and agrobiological diversity. However, an accelerated process of ancestral knowledge loss, related to the management of agrobiodiversity, native seeds, and other edible plant species management is affecting food sovereignty. This process of knowledge loss was documented at the Ñäñho region, of southern Querétaro, where our study took place. Our objective was to document the diversity of edible plant diversity, management, and use as well as the agroecosystems from which they are obtained.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted over 2 years (2021-2023) with 50 informants selected through a snowball sampling. Informal interviews and participant observations were also used with these and other people from the same community. Herbarium specimens and seed accessions were collected and photographed.ResultsIn total, 119 edible plant species were identified. The richest families were Solanaceae, Rosaceae, Cactaceae, and Asteraceae. The edible species occur in 11 agroecosystems with 58.6% of the species native to Mexico, and 41.4% introduced. The orchard, rustic greenhouse, house "milpa," mountain hill, and backyard, have the highest species diversity. The main management types were sowing and gathering plants. Eighty-five plant names were recorded in the Hñäñho language. The plant parts used were fruits (60.5%) and stems (46.2%). The gastronomic categories with the highest species percentage were stews, beverages, and refreshments, while the highest species number used in the gastronomic categories were cacti stalks or "nopales" (Opuntia spp.), maize (Zea mays), and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.).ConclusionsThe records in Southern Querétaro of edible plants and agroecosystems diversity were high. The plants, local knowledge documentation, and species management provide the basis for promoting projects focused on the Ñäñho biocultural wealth. Efforts are needed to encourage the least represented regional species. Community development programs are needed for food security and sovereignty; these are based on the local biocultural resources.

Dataset Information

Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya.

Publications

Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya.

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