Exploring the Deliciousness of Insects

Photo by Francine Spiering
Photo by Pearl Cajoles
Chef Hugo Ortega answering questions from students at the Hilton College at the University of Houston
Photo by Paula Murphy
Globally, the most commonly consumed insects are beetles (Coleoptera) (31 percent), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) (18 percent) and bees, wasps and ants (Hymenoptera) (14 percent). Following these are grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (Orthoptera) (13 percent), cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers, scale insects and true bugs (Hemiptera) (10 percent), termites (Isoptera) (3 percent), dragonflies (Odonata) (3 percent), flies (Diptera) (2 percent) and other orders (5 percent). (from: Edible Insects—Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security, FAO 2013)
Photo by Pearl Cajoles
student plating chapulines tacos for tasting. Photos by Pearl Cajoles, UH Conrad N. Hilton College