I recently watched a Simpson’s episode where Lisa develops an iron deficiency as a result of her vegetarianism, and she can’t stomach the iron pills the doctor prescribed. (They clang when she spits them out onto the table.) So she takes to eating insects.

Entomophagy (the fancy term for eating bugs) is practiced all over the world. I have a section devoted to entomophagy in my upcoming Bug Book–in the “Beneficial Bugs” section. Most insects are a good source of protein and fat, and they’re a more environmentally sustainable source of protein and vitamins than most of the animals we eat.

One edible insect is a large leafcutter ant. The scientific name is Atta laevigata. In Colombia they’re known as hormigas culonas. They’re harvested in spring, after the rainy season, when they emerge from their ant hills looking for a mate. The females are full of protein, because they’re bloated with eggs—hence their nickname, “big-butt ants.” According to this article (which also has some good pictures), when the ants emerge from their colonies in the spring, farmers abandon their crops and children skip school in order to catch the ants. The ants can sell for forty dollars a pound. People usually toast them. (If you’d like a recipe, you can find one here.)

Above photo used with permission from Glenn Strouhal (http://www.restlessadventurer.net/travel/comidas-tipicas/hormigas-culonas/hormigas-culonas.php)

Below photo: Atta laevigata by Ryan Perry, www.antweb.org