Can Longhorn Beetles Be Eaten? An Analysis of the Food Safety of Longhorn Beetles

Longhorn beetle is the general name for insects of the family Cerambycidae in the order Coleoptera, also known as tianshuiniu, bajiaor, niujiaochong, and so on. They have chewing mouthparts and very long antennae, often exceeding the length of their bodies. There are about more than 20,000 species worldwide, and some species are pests. Their larvae live in wood and may cause damage to trees or buildings. Let us take a look below at whether longhorn beetles can be eaten!

Can Longhorn Beetles Be Eaten?

Longhorn beetles can be eaten. Longhorn beetles are a kind of insect that is very harmful to plants. The insects that people currently eat include snails, earthworms, ants, cicadas, cockroaches, crickets, butterflies, locusts, grasshoppers, lake flies, spiders, mantises, longhorn beetles, and so on. Although people are not accustomed to eating insects, and may even feel disgusted by it, there is a situation that is uncommon now but was common during wartime that may force people to have no choice but to eat them——that is, the dangerous situation of losing food in the wild. When there is absolutely no other way, in order to sustain life, maintain combat effectiveness, and then complete the mission, one may have to consider eating insects.

Can Longhorn Beetles Fly?

Longhorn beetles can fly. Longhorn beetles are pests that harm trees such as poplar, willow, mulberry, pagoda tree, Chinese parasol, and chinaberry. Because they are as strong as an ox and good at flying in the sky, they got the name longhorn beetle. Most longhorn beetles are black in body color, with a metallic luster on the body. Their adults are commonly seen in forest areas, orchards, and other places. When flying, the elytra open and remain motionless, while the inner wings flap, producing a "ying ying" sound. Most have 1 generation per year, and there are also those with 2 generations in 3 years or 1 generation in 2 years.

What Kinds of Longhorn Beetles Are There?

1. Tiger longhorn beetle: The tiger longhorn beetle is a pest, an insect of the genus Xylotrechus in the family Cerambycidae of the order Coleoptera, mainly including the apricot tiger longhorn beetle, mulberry tiger longhorn beetle, grape tiger longhorn beetle, green poplar tiger longhorn beetle, and so on. Adults appear in summer and live in mid-altitude mountainous areas.

2. Citrus longhorn beetle: The citrus longhorn beetle is a longhorn beetle unique to Japan, China, and South Korea. It can harm many trees such as poplar, willow, elm, London plane, jujube, and Chinese chestnut, and is also a major pest of crape myrtle, plane trees, and citrus.

3. Prionid longhorn beetle: The prionid longhorn beetle is an insect of the genus Prionus in the family Cerambycidae. Its main host plants are conifers, Pinus, Cunninghamia, Chamaecyparis, Quercus, Fagus, and so on. It is distributed in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Taiwan, China, and other places.

4. Slender longhorn beetle: The slender longhorn beetle is an insect of the genus Necydalis in the family Cerambycidae. Its main host plants are fir, spruce, linden pine, fish-scale spruce, and other Pinus plants. It is distributed in Northeast China, Zhejiang, and other places, and abroad in the Soviet Union, Korea, Sakhalin, Japan, and other places.

5. Flower longhorn beetle: The flower longhorn beetle is an insect of the subfamily Lepturinae in the family Cerambycidae. Its body shape is nearly square, with a short and small head and thorax, and relatively flat and broad elytra. Females are noticeably broader and larger than males. The head width is less than the pronotum, the antennae do not reach the end of the elytra, and the fourth segment is shorter than the third or fifth segment.