The effects of season, geography, and urbanization on the diversity of edible insects at food markets in Laos.

ABSTRACT: Laos, a mountainous and landlocked country located in Southeast Asia, has the highest percentage of people using insects as food in the world. Lao people obtain edible insects through harvesting in the natural environment and purchasing at food markets. There has been no comprehensive survey about sales of insects at food markets in the wider areas, and our understanding of sales of insects in Laos is limited. Our study aims to identify environmental factors affecting the sales and the diversity of edible insects sold at food markets in Laos. We visited 37 and 55 markets, during the dry and rainy seasons respectively, in northern Laos to record species of sold insects. We then analyzed the correlations between insect sales and three potential factors (seasons, provinces, and urbanization i

SUBMITTER: Tagawa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9015116 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature