Chapter 2. Insect Foods of North American Indigenous Populations ...

Chapter 227 of 68 9/20/2012 1:34 PMAfter roasting, the caterpillars are removed from the pit and sifted to remove the sand. Anopen-twined parching basket (paco) was formerly used, now replaced by the ingenious device ofwillow, reinforcing rod, and hardware cloth. . . (Fig. 6). The roasted caterpillars are then washedand sorted. Any 'flat' (possibly diseased), overcooked, or discolored caterpillars are discarded, infavor of nice, plump, yellow ones (Fig. 7). Piagi to be eaten immediately are boiled for roughlyone hour in either salted or unsalted water, depending on individual taste. Boiled caterpillars aretaken from the water and their heads removed. The results are enjoyed by all (Fig. 8).Caterpillars are eaten plain or made into a stew with other meat and/or vegetable products. Theskins of the caterpillars are rather tough and they retain their shape when cooked.Caterpillars to be dried for storage are placed in the shade for two or three days to two weeks. Informer times, pole-and-bark drying sheds were used, at least in some areas. According to theelders, if the caterpillars are sun-dried they will rapidly become rancid. In the opinion of oneindividual, caterpillars boiled in salted water also would taste 'old' by sometimes being cached atthe harvesting grounds in the pole-and-bark sheds or in pits. They kept well through the winter,and with care into the spring and early summer.The authors conducted a proximate analysis of prepared piuga (roasted, washed, boiled with non-iodizedsalt): moisture 71.8%, protein 11.8%, fat 10.9%, ash 1.1%, and carbohydrates 4.3%. Calories/100 grams wasestimated at 163, and cal/hour worked at 1,848 - 2,753. The authors consider the estimates of cal/hour returnedfor collecting and processing to be probably low, but still nearly twice those of pinyon nuts and considerablyabove values reported for most plant foods studied by Simms (1984).Data by Schmid (1984) indicate the great abundance of the C. pandora food resource. Schmid studiedthe emergence and post-emergence behavior of the moth in Arizona, and estimated that more than 100,000adults emerged per infected hectare in 8,000 hectares that had been moderately to severely defoliated by thepreceding generation of larvae. Miller and Wagner (1984) reported that pandora moth larvae pupate beyondthe dripline of the tree, where the litter or duff layer is thinner. The investigators speculate that pupation underopen canopies where fuel loads are light may be an adaptation that permitted higher survival during the frequentlow-intensity fires that were typical of the presettlement ponderosa pine forest.Ebeling (1986: 155-157) identifies several insects used or probably used by Indians. He notes that largeoutbreaks of pandora moths occur only in areas of loose mineral soils, and gives a tip on how to find pupae:"Likely areas for digging for Pandora moth pupae are where one sees little tufts of pine needles at the ends ofotherwise defoliated twigs high in the larger trees. The larvae devour the needles and presumably the tufts aregrowth that develops subsequent to their departure."Noting that many accounts of pandora caterpillar collecting and processing were not based on firsthandobservation and that misleading and often conflicting information has accumulated, Weaver and Basgall (1986)present a critical evaluation of discrepancies relating to collection trenches, roasting hearths, storage structures,and smudge fires. Relative to the latter, the authors point out that none of the first-hand accounts mentioned theuse of smudge fires; furthermore, modern collectors consistently express the opinion that smoke would be of nohelp in bringing the caterpillars down. The authors conclude that systematic use of smudge fires was unlikely.Weaver and Basgall also assessed the importance of pandora caterpillars relative to regional subsistencestrategies. It is apparent that both the Mono Lake and Owens Valley Paiute regarded piagi as a highly prizedfoodstuff. Based on the fact that piagi has been shown to be fully competitive with virtually all vegetal resourcesfrom the standpoint of energy (compare the data of Fowler and Walter [1985] with those of Simms [1984]), piagiwere more predictable in terms of availability than originally thought (see discussion by the authors), timing ofcaterpillar availability did not conflict with scheduling of other important subsistence resources, they werestorable and collection territories were owned by particular family groups, the authors conclude that piagi meetthe criteria of a significant dietary component. Finally, the authors discuss temporal dimensions of piagi use andconclude that caterpillar exploitation has considerable antiquity.Blake and Wagner (1987) state that, "There are modern Indian people in the United States, living withinwalking distance of major grocery and fast-food chains, who choose to collect and eat larvae of the pandoramoth, Coloradia pandora lindseyi Barnes & Benjamin." Piuga is the Paiute name for the larvae. The moth hasa two-year life cycle in east-central California, summarized as follows by Blake and Wagner:Adults emerge from late July to early August, mate, and the females lay their pale blue eggsindiscriminately on bark surfaces, needles, and undergrowth. Tiny first instars emerge from theeggs in late August and immediately crawl to the tips of the branches and begin to feed incolonies. They overwinter at the base of the needles, feeding only on warm days. Larvae resume