ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT (1st March, 2018 -31st Jan 2019) National Mission on Himalayan Studies Systematic Inventorization, use profiles and molecular cataloguing for the sustainable management of edible insect resources for enhancing the livelihood opportunities of local people of Himalayan range of Manipur, North East India (Supported by MoEF & CC, Government of India) Submitted to G.B.Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora- 260 643, Uttarakhand Submitted By College of Horticulture and Forestry Central Agricultural University, Govt. of India Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh-791102 AND Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Sriramapura Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064 NMHS Progress Report (Period from 2018 to 2019) 1. Project Information Project ID NMHS/2017-18/MG33/17 Sanction Date 23/02/2018 Project Title Systematic inventorization, use profiles and molecular cataloguing for the sustainable management of edible insect resources for enhancing the livelihood opportunities of local people of Himalayan range of Manipur, North East India BTG: Biodiversity Conservation and Management PI and Dr. T. Shantibala Affiliation Associate Professor (Entomology), Department of Plant Protection College of Horticulture And Forestry Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur Pasighat – 791102, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA E-mail: [email protected], Mobile: +91-9856083444 Co-PI and Prof. K. Mamocha Singh Affiliation Registrar Central Agricultural University, Imphal Manipur. Name & Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan Address Senior Fellow, of the Co-PI, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (AITREE) if Royal Enclave, Sriramapura any: Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064, [email protected]/[email protected], Mob: 9449057364 Structured The initial 1st quarter of the first year undergone with the opening of the Abstract - separate account of the project and fund allocation between the collaborating detailing the current year institutes (ATREE and IBSD) and transferring fund as well as MoU signing. progress In the second quarter, with the requirement of project staffs started, preparation and procurement of the field equipment such as insect traps, GPS, multi-parameters probe for edible insect survey and collection. With the extensive reviewing of literatures on edible insect utilization (entomophagy) in India and across the globe during the first six month and undergo compiling of the secondary data with special reference to the Northeast India (Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland) to develop an Integrated database of Edible insect of India for wider information. A total of 439 edible insect species were reported from 5 states of NE India. The developing Database of edible insect species collated and archived so far provides systematic position, common name, vernacular name, ethnic community, place, mode of utilization, stages consume, reference etc. Highest number was reported from Assam (134) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (106), Nagaland (105), Manipur (76) and Meghalaya (18). Collection, preservation, inventorization and documentation of edible insects have been started and data on edible insects of NE India were digitized along with photographs of respective insects whenever available. For survey and collection of primary data, questionnaires for field and market survey were prepared and tested for acquiring economic, social values, cultural and therapeutic information from several ethnic communities relating to traditional ecological knowledge in the region. Field surveys, documentation and collections of edible insects was collected covering five different villages viz. Shajouba, Makhel, Tobufii, Punanamai, Rabunamai of Senapati and Ukhrul District of Manipur inhabited by Mao, Maram, Poumai and Tangkhul ethnic groups. Some of the specimens collated from the habitats were of Anoplophora, Cyrtotrachelus dus and Coridius species. Economic input of specific edible insect was also collected by conducting market surveys. From three different villages of Nagaland were also collected. Documentation on rearing methods of insect in two villages in Nagaland was also recorded. For preservation of insect specimen and museum development, collected insect were maintained both in dry and wet form. High quality digital images using Keyance digital microscope is being prepared for the database. The insects are being simultaneously identified and integrated into a database with species information including scientific name, strain, HD Infocus Image, diagnostic description, distribution, uses, and associated traditional knowledge along with bibliography. Ecological awareness with respect to economic status, ecological and social importance of these edible insects have also been discussed with village head, community members, women SHG members and traditional practitioners. Training program for mass rearing and conservation, value addition of edible insects for mass utilization and income generation will be initiating in community members, local medicinal practitioners in the villages to promote and develop sustainable management of this valuable natural resource for enhancing the livelihood of local people of Himalayan range of North East India. Project Partner Affiliation Role and Responsibilities Dr. T. Associate Professor a) Coordinate the project; b) Documentation of Shantibala (Entomology), traditional knowledge and culinary of edible and Department of Plant mollusca, c) to carry out collection of the Protection. samples and field data, d) DNA barcoding, College of Horticulture And analysis of nutritional and anti-nutritional Forestry properties of selected species and Central Agricultural characterization of functional values. University Pasighat – 791102, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA Dr. Ashoka Trust for a) Design the experiment, b) collection, Priyadarsanan Research in Ecology preservation inventorization and documentation Dharma Rajan and the Environment of edible insects) c) harvest methods and (ATREE), Royal demographic studies of selected economically Enclave, Srirampura, important edible insect d) Data management, Jakkur, Bangalore- archiving and dissemination; d) Portal 560064 development and dissemination of data e) Explore the potentials for culturing edible insects and producing value added products for enhancing the livelihood opportunities of local people. e) Explore the potentials for culturing edible insects and producing value added products for enhancing the livelihood opportunities of local people. f) Develop conservation and sustainable management strategies 2. Project Site Details Project Site North east India with particular to districts of Manipur IHR States Covered Manipur Long. & Lat. Latitudes 23˚5’N - 25˚ 3’N Longitudes 93°4' E - 95˚3’ E Site Maps Fig 1 Site Photographs Attached. 3. Project Activities Chart w.r.t. Timeframe [Gantt or PERT] Project WORK UNDERTAKEN Output Activities 1 March, 2018 – 31 January, 2019 Qtr1 Qtr2 Otr3 Ort4 1. Systematic Separate Project staffs Continuing Tabulation and A total of 439 inventorizat account requirement. survey and compilation for edible insect ion and opening, Extensive collection of preparation of species enlisted cataloguing Fund review of edible insects from secondary Integrated of edible allocation literature from different data gathered from insects and between the undergoing to districts of database of 5 states of the molluscs collaborating gather the Manipur and Edible insect North East India. institutes information of Nagaland for (ATREE and edible insect systematic Tabulation of IBSD) and from entire identification, edible insect in transferring North East cataloguing and Excel file 1. fund as well India. documentation. enclosed. as MoU Five different Primary data signing. Questioners villages of documentation and developed for Senapati and collection of insect documentation Ukhrul District resource utilization Reviewing of and collection of in Manipur undergoing for Literatures edible insects inhabited by Manipur, were reached Mao, Maram, Arunachal Pradesh out to various Poumai ethnic and Nagaland stakeholders for groups were undergoing jointly systematic covered. by collaborating record of the institutes. traditional Fig. (2 – 8) cultural (Survey site and practices of photographs of insect resources collected insects) utilization. 2. Molecular Live specimens Continuing Standardisation Fig 9 (Different cataloguing were collected insect collection. of genomic methods of edible and genetic and stored for DNA and insect collection) characteriza nutritional mitochondrial tion of the profiling and DNA extraction Qualitative and potential genetic from different quantitative edible insect characterization. parts of edible baselines data base and insect tissues is on insect resource molluscs currently in with use profiles, process for environmental DNA barcoding. conditions, institutional and policy regimes developing. 3. Document Digital Questionnaire Traditional Market surveys Fig 10 and 11. on the Images: developed for knowledge in different Market and Indigenous Infocus documentation documentation, villages in traditional insect knowledge digital and cataloguing collection and Nagaland resources system that images of all of the ethnic monographic (Visema and utilization surveys sustains the collected specific development Jotsona) were (Annexure diverse edible insect traditional undergoing. documented. I and II) livelihood species will practices and to Economic