insects Article Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya Elizabeth Siago Kusia 1,2 , Christian Borgemeister 2 , Fathiya M. Khamis 1, Robert S. Copeland 1,3, Chrysantus M. Tanga 1 , Fidelis Levi Ombura 1 and Sevgan Subramanian 1,* 1 International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi 00100, Kenya;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +254-20-8632159 Simple Summary: Edible insects are a traditional food source with economic benefits in sub-Saharan Africa. Caterpillars are the most popular edible insects in this region. We focus on caterpillars in the family Saturniidae. Saturniids are big colorful caterpillars with spines on their bodies, usually found in shrubs and trees. They are rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Despite their economic importance, little is known about their diversity, host plants, distribution, and potential effect of climate change on edible saturniid caterpillars in Africa. The aim of this study is to identify edible saturniids, their host plants, their current distribution and to predict the possible effects of climate change on their distribution. We documented seven species of edible saturniids namely Gonimbrasia zambesina, Gonimbrasia krucki, Bunaea alcinoe, Gonimbrasia cocaulti, Gonimbrasia belina, Gynanisa nigra Citation: Kusia, E.S.; Borgemeister, and Cirina forda.