DOCSLIB.ORG

Indigenous Knowledge of Seasonal Weather Forecasting: a Case Study in Six Regions of Uganda

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Indigenous Knowledge of Seasonal Weather Forecasting: a Case Study in Six Regions of Uganda Vol.4, No.12, 641-648 (2013) Agricultural Sciences http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/as.2013.412086 Indigenous knowledge of seasonal weather forecasting: A case study in six regions of Uganda Joshua S. Okonya1*, Jürgen Kroschel2 1International Potato Center (CIP), Kampala, Uganda; *Corresponding Author: [email protected] 2International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru Received 3 October 2013; revised 6 November 2013; accepted 22 November 2013 Copyright © 2013 Joshua S. Okonya, Jürgen Kroschel. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attri- bution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT undo decades of development efforts and negatively im- pact agriculture, health, settlements, and infrastructure in Indigenous knowledge of seasonal weather fore- developing countries [1-3]. Agriculture in Uganda, like casting could be useful in decision making at in most of sub-Saharan Africa is mainly rainfed and a village level to best exploit the seasonal distri- drought will mean household food insecurity as a result bution of rainfall in order to increase or stabilize of complete crop failure [4]. Rainfall variability together crop yields. We examined existing indigenous with the occurrence of extreme weather events like knowledge by interviewing 192 households in droughts, floods, and landslides is a reality in Uganda six regions of Uganda. Twenty one distinctive (Table 1) and is threatening livelihoods and ecosystems indicators were mentioned by local communities alike [5-10]. for forecasting the start of the dry season, but Early warning systems have proven to be indispensa- only few of these indicators were more consis- ble in preparedness for climatic events like the onset of tently and frequently used in the different dis- rainfall, floods, earthquakes, landslides, droughts and tricts. These included the appearance of bush related famine, and tsunami [11-14]. In West Africa, Tall crickets (Ruspolia baileyi Otte), winds blowing et al. [15] and Braman et al. [16] demonstrated how sea- from the east to the west, the appearance and sonal rainfall forecast information was used to reduce movement of migratory birds such as cattle egrets loss of lives, property, and illness due to floods. Efficient (Bubulcus ibis Linnaeus), and calling by the early warning systems have been shown to greatly re- Bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus Lesson). duce mortality and morbidity due to extreme weather For prediction of the start of the rainy season, 22 events in the health sector [17]. indicators were mentioned and these included The knowledge of the indigenous people should be in- winds blowing from the west to the east, cuckoo cluded when designing adaptations to climate change birds (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae) start to call, and especially in Africa [18]. Local communities and farmers winged African termite (Coptotermes formosanus have developed a rich knowledge base of predicting cli- Shiraki) swarms leave their nests. Predictors of matic and weather events based on observations of ani- rain in the following days included presence of mals, plants, and celestial bodies, among others [19]. red clouds in the morning. Together with the me- Roncoli et al. [20] demonstrated that indigenous knowl- teorological forecasts, traditional indicators could edge on rainfall forecasting can form an important part of be very useful in rain forecasting and improving the scientific forecasts in Burkina Faso. It was urged that the timing of agricultural activities. understanding how local communities perceive and pre- dict rainfall variability is key to communicating scientific Keywords: Climate Change; Agricultural weather forecasts. The most common environmental in- Meteorology; Early Warning Systems; Oral dicators used by the Bonaman inhabitants of Burkina Tradition; Weather Lore; Uganda Faso were the occurrence of intense heat and/or cold at different times of the year indicating the timing and 1. INTRODUCTION amount of rainfall in the upcoming rainy season and the fruiting of specific tree species to either mean abundant Adverse effects of climate change are threatening to rain or drought. Copyright © 2013 SciRes. OPEN ACCESS 642 J. S. Okonya, J. Kroschel / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 641-648 Table 1. Occurrence of some extreme climatic events over the last 20 years in Uganda. Climate event (period) Impact of climatic event Affected place(s) Reference About 1000 people died due to floods About 150,000 people were displaced El Niño (1997/1998 and Damage to trunk and rural roads 2002) Kapchorwa, About 300 ha of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were destroyed [5] Floods Sironko Coffee (Coffea spp.) exports dropped by 60% Landslides Submerging of fuel stations by water Over 11,000 people hospitalized and treated for cholera Crop failure Low livestock productivity Soroti, Ngora, Kumi, Severe floods (2007) [10] Infrastructure destruction Katakwi, Serere About 5000 people displaced 400 people died Landslides (2010) Livestock, crop fields and houses destroyed Bududa, Bukwa, Sironko [9,10] Roads blocked Melting of icecaps on Reduced tourism; loss of the icecaps Mt. Rwenzori by 40% Release of carbon locked in glaciers into the atmosphere Kasese [6] due to higher Increased water flow in R. Semiliki, eroding its banks, silting of L. temperatures (1955-2010) Albert, and causing flooding of homes and crop gardens Death of livestock; tsetse fly (Glossina spp.), belt expanded Prolonged drought, Reduced milk yields for dairy farmers Moroto, Kotido, extreme heat and Increased food insecurity; famine; cattle rustling Nakapiripirit, Abim, [7,32] higher temperatures Kaabong (1991-2000) Increased conflict over water, tick-borne diseases, dust storms, chest and eye infections Reduced area for coffee cultivation Increased pest and disease pressure in coffee due coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari), nematode, coffee wilt disease Bududa, Kapchorwa, Higher (Tracheomycosis) and coffee leaf rust Bulambuli, Bukwo, temperatures Reduced quality and yield of coffee Kween, Kasese, (1999-2000) Loss of 265.8 million USD or 40% of export revenue Kabale, Kisoro Spread of coffee leaf rust disease to higher altitudes emergence of pests like the stem borer (Monochamus leuconotus Pascoe) and diseases like leaf rust and wilt Extreme heat and New cases of tick-borne diseases Mbarara, Kiruhura, Lyantonde, higher temperatures Expansion of the tsetse fly belt causing nagana and sleeping sickness Sembabule, Rakai, Soroti, Kumi, (2007) Escalation in pest epidemics Isingiro Nakasongola, Karamoja Destroyed all cereal crops [6] Katakwi Locust epidemics (Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål) Destroyed pasture and grain crops (maize Zea mays L. and wheat) Wakiso, Tororo and Pallisa Outbreak of armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) In the rural villages of Rajasthan, India, Pareek and spyros kirkii Hiern) among others [22]. In the south- Trivedi [21] investigated cultural values and indigenous western highlands of Tanzania, Chang’a et al. [23] docu- knowledge of climate change and disaster prediction. mented a good number of signs relied on by the local They established that traditional knowledge systems communities to predict the start and intensity of the rainy were an important tool in environmental conservation season and these included behavior of insects (army- and natural disaster management. Tree (Ficus spp.) flow- worms, grasshoppers, termites, and butterflies), behavior ering and generation of new shoots, appearance of ter- of birds like the swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hir- mites, ants, butterflies, and frogs indicated the near rain- undineus Lichtenstein), plant phenology, like the flow- fall onset. In Mberengwa district of Zimbabwe, inter- ering intensity of trees, and wind direction, among others. views of persons over 70 years of age revealed a number Elders in Manicaland and Masvingo provinces in Zim- of traditional weather forecasting indicators including babwe rely on a vast number of biological (singing of birds (southern ground hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri nyenze insects, collecting of grass and food by ants and Vigors, rain cuckoo), invertebrates (termites, cicadas), termites to mark the start of the rainy seasons), atmos- and vertebrates (frogs), fruiting of the ebony tree (Dio- pheric (frequent occurrence of mist or fog on mountain Copyright © 2013 SciRes. OPEN ACCESS J. S. Okonya, J. Kroschel / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 641-648 643 tops for the start of rain), and astronomic (position of the portunity to describe important features of their local Milky Way and a group of six stars in the sky) weather weather forecast systems while detailing features that are forecasting indicators [24,25]. important for them. Information on demographic charac- In India, Anandrajaga et al. [26] identified fifteen tra- teristics and indigenous knowledge of forecasting the ditional weather and climate related practices that farm- onset of the rain and dry seasons was collected. Data ers of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district follow in their were mainly qualitative and percentages were the major farming systems to help them in forecasting weather statistical tools used to enable the description of socio- events. These included insect behavior (termites, ants, demographic characteristics and early warning signs and dragon flies), frogs’ croaking, dense fog in the morn- used by farmers for prediction of climatic events. ing, and high
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Singleton Molecular Species Delimitation Based on COI-5P
    Zhou et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology (2019) 19:79 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1404-5 RESEARCHARTICLE Open Access Singleton molecular species delimitation based on COI-5P barcode sequences revealed high cryptic/undescribed diversity for Chinese katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) Zhijun Zhou*, Huifang Guo, Li Han, Jinyan Chai, Xuting Che and Fuming Shi* Abstract Background: DNA barcoding has been developed as a useful tool for species discrimination. Several sequence- based species delimitation methods, such as Barcode Index Number (BIN), REfined Single Linkage (RESL), Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), a Java program uses an explicit, determinate algorithm to define Molecular Operational Taxonomic Unit (jMOTU), Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), and Bayesian implementation of the Poisson Tree Processes model (bPTP), were used. Our aim was to estimate Chinese katydid biodiversity using standard DNA barcode cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-5P) sequences. Results: Detection of a barcoding gap by similarity-based analyses and clustering-base analyses indicated that 131 identified morphological species (morphospecies) were assigned to 196 BINs and were divided into four categories: (i) MATCH (83/131 = 64.89%), morphospecies were a perfect match between morphospecies and BINs (including 61 concordant BINs and 22 singleton BINs); (ii) MERGE (14/131 = 10.69%), morphospecies shared its unique BIN with other species; (iii) SPLIT (33/131 = 25.19%, when 22 singleton species were excluded, it rose to 33/109 = 30.28%), morphospecies were placed in more than one BIN; (iv) MIXTURE (4/131 = 5.34%), morphospecies showed a more complex partition involving both a merge and a split. Neighbor-joining (NJ) analyses showed that nearly all BINs and most morphospecies formed monophyletic cluster with little variation.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of Australian Copiphorini (Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae : Conocephalinae)
    Aust. J. Zool., 1979, 27, 1015-49 A Review of Australian Copiphorini (Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae : Conocephalinae) Winston J. Bailey Department of Zoology, University of Western Australia. Nedlands. W.A. 6009. Abstract The Australian members of the tribe Copiphorini (Tettigoniidae) are reviewed and their relationship to the Indo-Pacific species clarified. The principal character used is the stridulatory file of the male. This permits clear distinction of species within the four genera Pseudorhynchus, Euconocephalus, Ruspolia and Mygalopsis. Seven new species are named: P. raggei, P. selonis, E. broughtoni, R. marshallae, M. sandowi, M. marki and M. thielei. All genera are keyed, all species described and synonyms given. Distribution patterns are noted but not discussed in any detail. Introduction The Australian Tettigoniidae have had scant taxonomic treatment in recent times. Riek (1976) has provided a review of one genus, Tympanophora, and a number of other families are at present under consideration. Studies on the ecology, behaviour and physiology of various genera of Tettigoniidae are becoming more numerous, and the present review stems from a need to bring some taxonomic order to one genus, Mygalopsis, which is receiving considerable attention from both ecologists and physiologists in Western Australia (Sandow and Bailey 1978; Bailey and Stephen 1978; Thiele and Bailey 1980). The tribe Copiphorini was erected by Karny (1912) and includes four Australian genera: Pseudorhynchus Serville, Euconocephalus Karny, Ruspolia Schulthess (= Homorocoryphus Karny) and Mygalopsis Redtenbacher. These genera were re- viewed in part, in a study of Malayan, Melanesian and Australian tettigoniids by Hebard (1922). He pointed to the poor treatment one genus had received from previous workers, notably Euconocephalus.
    [Show full text]
  • Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Copiphorini)
    THOMAS J. WALKERJournal of Orthoptera Research 2014, 23(1): 69-7369 A new North American species of Bucrates (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Copiphorini) THOMAS J. WALKER Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Email: [email protected] Abstract Methods Bucrates weissmani n.sp. is known from four localities in southern Access to supporting materials (SM).—To improve access to the origi- Arizona. It is smaller and more slender than the other four species of nal data and the analyses that were undertaken for this paper, four Bucrates, making it superficially similar to the Central American copiphorine tables were composed and assigned to SM. These may be accessed Caulopsis cuspidata, but more fundamental features refute the notion that through hyperlinks in BioOne's "Full Text" and PDF digital versions. it belongs in Caulopsis rather than Bucrates. Four other species of Bucrates are known. Two of these, capitatus (De Geer) and clausus (Scudder), occur in sympatry in Central America and tropical South America; lanista Rehn is Collecting sites of specimens examined.—D.B. Weissman and Jeff Cole known only from southern Brazil; and malivolans (Scudder) is restricted to provided specimens of the new species from the five sites listed the southeastern United States. All are easily distinguished morphologically below. Unless within brackets, [.], the data are from labels on the and, for the three for which the songs are known, by their songs. Unlike the specimens. two other species of Bucrates for which the habitat is known, B. weissmani occurs on altitudinal islands at the edge of a desert. The calling song of B.
    [Show full text]
  • An Even More Competitive and Cost Efficient Railway
    Challenge G: An even more competitive and cost efficient railway Railway edges, ecological corridors: how to conciliate biodiversity and economic management of vegetation? Author: Caterina Penone1,2, 3 1 SNCF INFRA/IG-LG-ENV - 6, Avenue François Mitterrand - 93574 La Plaine St Denis - France 2 SNCF INFRA/CSC ER IM 1 - 18, Rue Dunkerque - 75010 Paris - France 3 MNHN UMR7204 CERSP – 61, Rue Buffon - CP 53 - 75004 Paris - France 1 Challenge G: An even more competitive and cost efficient railway Introduction Today biodiversity is in crisis: human activities have resulted in consistent changes to ecosystems and to global and local patterns of biodiversity (Vitousek et al. 1997). Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms - animals, plants, their habitats and their genes - this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems. Scientists estimate that the current species extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be (IUCN). This loss does not only concern emblematic or rare species, but also common species which provide a wide range of services critical to our survival: ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, http://www.maweb.org/). An environmentally friendly railway must take into account into its maintenance this societal, politic and environmental problem. Railways are in part responsible for biodiversity loss both at global (CO2 rejects) and local scales. Many studies showed in particular that transport networks are at the origin of habitat fragmentation and destruction, local pollutions, roadkills, noise effects, refuge and corridor areas for invasive alien plants (Forman & Alexander 1998; Trombulak & Frissell 2000; Seiler 2001; Hansen & Clevenger 2005; Coffin 2007).
    [Show full text]
  • Final Copy 2019 01 23 Maia
    This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Pereira Maia, Kate Title: Bottom-up effects in plant-insect networks the role of plant communities in structuring insect communities General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Bottom-up effects in plant-insect networks: the role of plant communities in structuring insect communities Kate Pereira Maia A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Science School of Biological Sciences November 2018 Word Count: 24.369 i Abstract Biodiversity is associated with important ecosystem processes and functions.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CURRENT STATUS of ORTHOPTEROID INSECTS in BRITAIN and IRELAND by Peter G
    THE CURRENT STATUS OF ORTHOPTEROID INSECTS IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND by Peter G. Sutton, Björn C. Beckmann & Brian Nelson INTRODUCTION This article provides an overview of the changes that have occurred within the orthopteroid fauna of Britain and Ireland since the last distribution atlas was published in 1997 (Haes & Harding, 1997). It provides the current IUCN status of the scarce and threatened species in Britain in accordance with their recent reassessment (Sutton, 2015a) and discusses the future prognosis for this group of insects in Britain and Ireland. It also highlights recent developments of the Orthoptera Recording Scheme with particular reference to the collection of distribution map data using new technologies. Changes to the orthopteroid fauna of Britain and Ireland have been assessed in the landmark publications by Ragge (1965), Marshall & Haes (1988), Haes & Harding (1997) and more recently, Benton (2012), and have also been comprehensively reviewed by Marshall (1974, 2001, 2010). In addition, a regular and ongoing summary of these changes has been provided by the Grasshoppers and Relatives section of British Wildlife magazine (Haes, 1990‒1995; Widgery 1995‒2002; Sutton, 2002‒2016), and in the Orthoptera Recording Scheme newsletters (1‒22 (Haes, 1979‒1995); 23‒28 (Widgery, 1996‒2002) and 29‒33 (Beckmann & Sutton, 2013‒2016)). Field Cricket Gryllus campestris . Adult male at a West Sussex reintroduction site, 1 June 2013 (Photo: D. Browne). 6 Atropo s 59 www.atropos.info THE ORTHOPTEROID FAUNA The orthopteroid insects include some of the largest and most spectacular insects to be found in Britain and Ireland, such as the beautiful Large Marsh Grasshopper Stethophyma grossum .
    [Show full text]
  • Research Article Phylogenetic Relationship Of
    Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Insects Volume 2013, Article ID 504285, 5 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/504285 Research Article Phylogenetic Relationship of the Longhorn Grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Northwest Tanzania Based on 18S Ribosomal Nuclear Sequences Nicodemus D. Matojo1 and Keneth M. Hosea2 1 Department of Life Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education (UDSM), P.O. Box 2513, Iringa, Tanzania 2 Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Correspondence should be addressed to Nicodemus D. Matojo; [email protected] Received 16 March 2013; Revised 20 April 2013; Accepted 20 April 2013 Academic Editor: Francisco de Sousa Ramalho Copyright © 2013 N. D. Matojo and K. M. Hosea. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Previously, the biology of the longhorn grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from northwest Tanzania was mainly inferred based on the morphological and behavioural characters with which its taxonomic status was delineated. The present study complements the previous analysis by examining the phylogenetic relationship of this insect based on the nuclear ribosomal molecular evidence. In the approach, the 18S rDNA of this insect was extracted, amplified, sequenced, and aligned, and the resultant data were used to reconstruct and analyze the phylogeny of this insect based on the catalogued data. 1. Introduction The 18S rDNA is among the most widely used molecular components in phylogenetic analysis of insects [14, 15].
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity of Edible Insects Consumed by Ethnic Tribes in Baksa District of Assam, India
    ISSN: 2455-2631 © July 2019 IJSDR | Volume 4, Issue 7 Diversity of edible insects consumed by ethnic tribes in Baksa District of Assam, India Jayanta Kr. Das Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Barama College, Barama, Abstract: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life and its processes, including the variety of living organisms. Species diversity is the number of different species in a particular ecosystem or on Earth. The number of species that live in a certain location is called species richness. Study reveals that 30 no of species of edible insects are consumed by ethnic tribes in the study area. Out of 30 edible insects consumed, Orthopterans order shared with maximum number of 10 species followed by Hymenoptera of 6 species, Coleopteran of 5 species then Hemipterans by 3 species and Lepidoptera by 2 species and then Odonota, Mantodea, Blattollidea and Isopteran by 1 species respectively. The various tribes choose the edible insects on the basis of their traditional belief, taste and regional and seasonal availability. Calculating Shannon’s index of diversity in four different sampling habitats, shows that, the highest diversity of edible insects found in Open field ((H’=2.563) followed by Agricultural Field (H’= 2.442) then Forest/Backyard habitat (H’=2.45) and the least diversity found in Swampy Area (H’=1.329). Diversity of edible insects plays an important role in the creation of a sustainable global food economy as well as food security. The present study investigates to assess diversity of the edible insect consumed by ethnic people of Baksa, Assam. Keywords: Diversity, Ethnic, Livelihood, Nutritional, Sustainable Introduction: Insects are the most diverse and abundant form of life and organize a main component of the total faunal biodiversity on earth.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Insects
    1.04cm spine for 208pg on 90g eco paper ISSN 0258-6150 FAO 171 FORESTRY 171 PAPER FAO FORESTRY PAPER 171 Edible insects Edible insects Future prospects for food and feed security Future prospects for food and feed security Edible insects have always been a part of human diets, but in some societies there remains a degree of disdain Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security and disgust for their consumption. Although the majority of consumed insects are gathered in forest habitats, mass-rearing systems are being developed in many countries. Insects offer a significant opportunity to merge traditional knowledge and modern science to improve human food security worldwide. This publication describes the contribution of insects to food security and examines future prospects for raising insects at a commercial scale to improve food and feed production, diversify diets, and support livelihoods in both developing and developed countries. It shows the many traditional and potential new uses of insects for direct human consumption and the opportunities for and constraints to farming them for food and feed. It examines the body of research on issues such as insect nutrition and food safety, the use of insects as animal feed, and the processing and preservation of insects and their products. It highlights the need to develop a regulatory framework to govern the use of insects for food security. And it presents case studies and examples from around the world. Edible insects are a promising alternative to the conventional production of meat, either for direct human consumption or for indirect use as feedstock.
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Brief #1
    Technical Brief #1: Ruspolia grasshopper production systems in East Africa and their nutritional properties Authors: John Kinyuru Jozef Vanden Broeck Monicah Ayieko Forkwa Fombong Jeremiah Ng’ang’a December 2018 Introduction The consumption of the naturally occurring longhorn grasshopper, Ruspolia differens locally known as senene, is an important part of food culture in several regions of East- Africa and contributes significant protein intake of the rural and urban population. For many households, trade in edible insects is a major source of income and considerably contributes to improvements in livelihood (Agea, Biryomumaisho, Buyinza, & Nabanoga, 2008). Grasshoppers have traditionally been harvested seasonally from the wild. This method of collection can be unsustainable for the wider ecosystem due to overharvesting or destructive techniques. One of the main benefits of utilizing insects as part of the human diet has been their beneficial nutritional profile, comparable to conventional meats such as chicken and beef (Rumpold & Schlüter, 2013). Although farming technologies for other insects like the cricket (Orthoptera; Gryllidae) are fairly advanced in Asia (e.g. Thailand, Laos) and East Africa, equivalent knowledge for its grasshopper is lacking, especially given the popularity of its consumption. In the case of grasshoppers, preliminary studies performed in Uganda have shown that R. differens can be produced under small-scale laboratory conditions but several aspects of its biology need to be evaluated to optimize production techniques. This brief provides an overview of harvesting and rearing systems for the Ruspolia grasshopper. It provides an outline of wild harvesting, rearing facilities and management practices, as well as how to rear insects under the prevailing local conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • “Swarming Conehead” Ruspolia Differens Serville, 1838 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) Occurring in the Afro-Tropical Region
    International Journal of Zoology and Animal Biology ISSN: 2639-216X A Comprehensive Key for Identification of the “Swarming Conehead” Ruspolia Differens Serville, 1838 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) Occurring in the Afro-Tropical Region Matojo ND* Review Article Department of Biological Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education, Volume 3 Issue 1 Tanzania Received Date: December 10, 2019 Published Date: January 17, 2020 *Corresponding author: Nicodemus D Matojo, Department of Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.23880/izab-16000200 Mkwawa University College of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 2513 Iringa, Tanzania, Tel: 255784710506; Email: [email protected] Abstract This work reviewed the behavioural, morphological and molecular characteristics of the long-horned grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville or “senene” in Swahili name (Orthoptera Tettigoniidae), as apparent in literature. On that basis, the work has generated a comprehensive key for identification of this species. As widely known, this insect native to Afro-tropical region where it is widely edible and it has a characteristic swarming behaviour that strikingly occurs during rainy season. Also, it has colour polymorphism with a total of six key sympatric colour forms, sex dimorphism with males possessing longer antennae and a unique pair of active tongue-like metathoracic flaps whereas the females have a corresponding pair of vestigial metathoracic nodules. Furthermore, the species has a pair of distinct subequal black markings on the mid and hind tibia near the knee joint and a white inter-ocular oval mark that appears like a simple eye. Its sister species which is Ruspolia nitidula Scopoli as verified by molecular phylogenetics is exclusively solitary, mostly greenish and Palearctic ranging in Asia, Europe and Northern Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Insects As Food: Illuminating the Food Neophobia and Socio-Cultural Dynamics of Insect Consumption in Uganda
    Insects as food: Illuminating the food neophobia and socio-cultural dynamics of insect consumption in Uganda Solomon Olum1, Joshua Wesana2, Justine Mawadri1, Joanitar Kizza Nakiranda1, Walter Odongo*3 1Department of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University, P.O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda 2Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, United Kingdom 3Department of Rural Development and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University, P.O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda *Corresponding author Walter Odongo [email protected] Tel: +256 777 036100 Abstract Entomophagy presents the most viable and sustainable meat alternative to feed the ever- increasing world population as insects are highly nutritious. However, the potential of edible insects’ consumption is constrained by consumers’ fear towards novel or unfamiliar foods (food neophobia), which tends to be high for insects. This paper assessed the influence of food neophobia and socio-cultural factors on the consumption and consumers’ willingness to consume three edible insects in Uganda (the long-horned grasshoppers, the flying African termites and the wingless red termites). Data were collected from 310 edible insects’ consumers from two culturally different regions in Uganda. Results show that culture and familiarity with edible insects are important determinants of edible insects’ consumption. Consumers with high levels of food neophobia were less likely to consume edible insects that were unfamiliar to them. Much as the population exhibited high levels of food neophobia, neophobia was not a significant predictor of future edible insect consumption. In addition, personal characteristics like education and age influenced both the level of food neophobia and consumption of insects.
    [Show full text]