Nsenene Explained

Nsenene is the Luganda name for Ruspolia differens:[1] [2] a bush cricket (a.k.a. katydids or misnamed "long-horned grasshoppers") in the tribe Copiphorini of the 'cone-head' subfamily. It is often confused with the closely related Ruspolia nitidula.[3] [4]

Distribution and traditional beliefs

Nsenene (Known also as "Senene"). This species has long been known as one of the many totems of Buganda Kingdom of Uganda. This species is a delicacy in central and south-western Uganda. The insect is also found in South Africa, Malawi, Ivory Coast, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, and Mauritius.[5] Traditionally in Uganda, nsenene were collected by children and women. They were given to the women's husbands in return for a new gomasi (a traditional dress for women). Although the women were made to do the treacherous work of collecting nsenene, they were never allowed to eat them. It was believed that women who consume nsenene would bear children with deformed heads like those of a conocephaline bush cricket. Nowadays, nsenene are consumed by most women in the areas where this insect is traditionally eaten. In Tanzania among the Haya regions ensenene is a popular delicacy consumed by men and women of all ages.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: species Ruspolia differens (Serville, 1838): Orthoptera Species File. orthoptera.speciesfile.org. 2020-04-15.
  2. Ssepuuya . Geoffrey . Wynants . Enya . Verreth . Christel . Crauwels . Sam . Lievens . Bart . Claes . Johan . Nakimbugwe . Dorothy . Van Campenhout . Leen . 2019-02-01 . Microbial characterisation of the edible grasshopper Ruspolia differens in raw condition after wild-harvesting in Uganda . Food Microbiology . en . 77 . 106–117 . 10.1016/j.fm.2018.09.005 . 30297041 . 52940781 . 0740-0020.
  3. Matojo . Nicodemus D. . Hosea . Keneth M. . 2013-05-21 . Phylogenetic Relationship of the Longhorn Grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Northwest Tanzania Based on 18S Ribosomal Nuclear Sequences . Journal of Insects . en . 2013 . e504285 . 10.1155/2013/504285 . 2356-7465. free .
  4. Leonard . Alfonce . Khamis . Fathiya M . Egonyu . James P . Kyamanywa . Samuel . Ekesi . Sunday . Tanga . Chrysantus M . Copeland . Robert S . Subramanian . Sevgan . 2020-10-16 . Liu . Tong-Xian . Identification of Edible Short- and Long-Horned Grasshoppers and Their Host Plants in East Africa . Journal of Economic Entomology . en . 113 . 5 . 2150–2162 . 10.1093/jee/toaa166 . 33063829 . 0022-0493.
  5. Malinga . Geoffrey M . Acur . Amos . Ocen . Patrick . Holm . Sille . Rutaro . Karlmax . Ochaya . Stephen . Kinyuru . John N . Eilenberg . Jørgen . Roos . Nanna . Valtonen . Anu . Nyeko . Philip . Roininen . Heikki . 2022-05-07 . Growth and Reproductive Performance of Edible Grasshopper (Ruspolia differens) on Different Artificial Diets . Journal of Economic Entomology . 115 . 3 . 724–730 . 10.1093/jee/toac053 . 35524751 . 0022-0493.

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