Eating bugs is hardly new. This large caterpillar is classed as a delicacy in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.

they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. June 7, 2012 James Kelly Food 0. "When the caterpillars had grown to around four centimetres we put them in large 'shade-houses'," says Dr Ghazoul. Some say that the smoked and fried worms are similar in flavor to the jerky-like Mopane worms are a vital supplement to protein-poor diets, with the flesh of the mopane containing up to three times the amount of protein as an equivalent mass of beef. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies See Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you.Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed.Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win a box of our favorite obscure snacks, from Mexican candies to Japanese bonito flakes.Afloat the Erie Canal: A Self-Led Houseboat AdventureWe Now Know Where Almost All of Stonehenge's Stones Came FromThe Cambrian Creatures That Grew Up Over the Course of 28 BodiesThe Ancient Greek Temples Home to Orchards, Vineyards, and Rare BeesA Former CIA Chief of Disguise Shows Off a Five-Second MaskThe Conspiracy Theories and Misinterpreted Murals of Denver AirportShow & Tell With the Genius Behind America’s Best Roadside Attraction dreaming catch mopane worms from a tree dream interpretations ... seeing a tree with new green leaves can be interpreted as an omen of abundance which could mean that there will be economic and sentimental abundance. When the eggs hatch, the larvae live within the mopane worms and eventually kill them. Canned Mopane Worms.

To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our This is the first time over all the years that I saw them bunching together like this.

There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts "In the remote villages the householders then wait for the traders to arrive, or they might take the worms to the local market," says Dr Ghazoul. First the worm has its guts removed by squeezing the body between forefinger and thumb, expelling the viscera.

These are the caterpillar of Gonimbrasia belina , a species of moth found in much of Southern Africa. "No one knows when or where an outbreak is likely to occur," says Dr Ghazoul. There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts You can purchase dried mopane worms online for about $10, plus shipping.Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. Outbreaks of mopane worms usually occur twice a year, with larger numbers hatching around November and fewer around March. "The idea would be to develop mathematical models that include variables such as the quality of forage material, the density of parasite populations and weather patterns, which might allow us to predict when and where outbreaks might occur allowing farmers to plan ahead and prepare for big mopane worm events. Collectors mostly rely on middlemen who come to the villages and take the harvest to district markets, where it is often sold on to other traders and wholesalers who have access to the much bigger markets in the large commercial centres such as Harare. When the worm is 10 to 12cm long, just before it starts to pupate, it is collected.