NAIROBI, KENYA — On November 21, 2018, researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi said they had identified a new edible cricket that could support both human diets and animal feed production.
The insect has been named Scapsipedus icipe after being collected and reared for experimental work at the centre’s campus. ICIPE said the discovery was published in the journal Zootaxa.
The centre said the species is already widely farmed in Kenya, but had previously been confused with Acheta domesticus. That clarification came from ICIPE scientist Tanga Mbi, who said he identified the insect during his postdoctoral research.
“Scapsipedus icipe is widely farmed across Kenya. However, until now its true scientific information was unavailable, and it was erroneously mistaken for a different cricket species known as Acheta domesticus,” notes icipe scientist, Tanga Mbi, who found the insect as part of his postdoctoral research.
According to Dr Mbi, ICIPE had spent the previous three years studying edible insect farming as a possible source of nutritious food in Kenya. The centre said the new cricket is commonly found around buildings and fields and can be identified by a yellow band between the eyes, a distinct call and the territorial behaviour of males.
Researchers now want to establish the best rearing conditions for Scapsipedus icipe under different temperatures. ICIPE is also assessing its nutritional quality and safety as it pushes insect-based food and feed initiatives in Kenya.
Dr Mbi said insect farming could reduce pollution while using less space and time than conventional livestock production. The centre also argued that insects are easier to farm because they require less room than other protein-rich feed stocks.
ICIPE’s broader message was that insect consumption is already part of Kenyan diets, with beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers and locusts among the species eaten in many parts of the country.
