Masiinya
The Masiinya (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) are yellowish-white, segmented and legless neonate larvae with a chitinous head capsule that is a darker brown than the rest of the larvae body.
They are creamy tasting when raw and like bacon when cooked.
A species of snout beetle documented in Uganda as far back as the 17th Century still inhabits the wild palm trees found in the dense forests on Kalangala Island. The adult beetles are relatively large, from 2 to 5 centimeters long, and are usually a rusty red color with back wings.
These insects are collected in dry season (January and July) eaten by the Ssese people, who live on the Ssese island in Lake Victoria. The larvae are prepared fried and roasted, served as desserts and breakfast snacks.
With the introduction of monoculture plantations to produce palm oil, the native forests have been cleared, and researchers from the big palm oil companies are testing more effective insecticides to eliminate these stem borers, putting them at risk of extinction even though they are still a delicacy among the native families on the island.
