Palm worm (coleoptera, Curculionidae: Rhynchophorus palmarum) Traditional Food. Examples from Alto Orinoco, Venezuela

Current knowledge about the so-called palm worms, weevil beetles, and Curculionidae widely used as food in the Amazon is summarized. The Indians gather the palm worms from damaged or fallen palm stems and eat them raw or roasted. We analyzed the nutrient composition of the palm worm and found that it is an excellent source of protein, fat, vitamins A and E, and minerals. Development of a local, controlled, small-scale palm worm production system implemented by the Indians in the Amazonas is described. Larvae are bred using wild palm materials and traditional Indian plants. Larval survival and density in each palm substrate were analyzed together with their nutrient composition. These data were compared with the mother palms cucurito (Maximiliana maripa), seje (Jessenia bataua), and moriche (Mauritia flexuosa). Finally, the palatability of the palm worm to non-Amerindian tourists is assessed. The nutrient composition of the palm worm, the simplicity of a more controlled local production system, and the acceptability of the palm worm to tourists make this nonconventional resource promising, both as a nutritional food and as a source of cash income for the Indians.