Nsenene

Nsenene is the Luganda name for Ruspolia differens:[1][2] a bush cricket (a.k.a. katydids or misnamed "long-horned grasshoppers") in the tribe Copiphorini of the 'cone-head' subfamily. It is often confused with the closely related Ruspolia nitidula.[3][4]

Nsenene
Nsenene look-alike (Ruspolia nitidula)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Genus: Ruspolia
Species:
R. differens
Binomial name
Ruspolia differens
(Serville, 1838)
Synonyms
  • Conocephalus albidonervis Redtenbacher, 1891
  • Conocephalus exiguus Stål, 1876
  • Conocephalus lemus Redtenbacher, 1891
  • Conocephalus longipennis Redtenbacher, 1891
  • Conocephalus vicinus Walker, 1869
  • Conocephalus (Homorocoryphus) melanostictus Karny, 1907
  • Homorocoryphus mediotessellatus Karny, 1917

Distribution and traditional beliefs

Nsenene (Known also as "Senene"). This species has long been known as one of the many totems of Buganda Kingdom of Uganda. They were founded by Seruwu Douglass from Ssese Islands in Masaka. This species is a delicacy in central and south-western Uganda, as well as an important source of income. The insect is also found in South Africa, Malawi, Ivory Coast, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, and Mauritius.[5] Traditionally in Uganda, nsenene were collected by children and women. They were given to the women's husbands in return for a new gomasi (a traditional dress for women). Although the women were made to do the treacherous work of collecting nsenene, they were never allowed to eat them. It was believed that women who consume nsenene would bear children with deformed heads like those of a conocephaline bush cricket. Nowadays, nsenene are consumed by most women in the areas where this insect is traditionally eaten. And mostly in Tanzania Haya Regions is considered as treaty and custom of welcoming accompanied dried coffee nuts

References
  1. "species Ruspolia differens (Serville, 1838): Orthoptera Species File". orthoptera.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  2. Ssepuuya, Geoffrey; Wynants, Enya; Verreth, Christel; Crauwels, Sam; Lievens, Bart; Claes, Johan; Nakimbugwe, Dorothy; Van Campenhout, Leen (2019-02-01). "Microbial characterisation of the edible grasshopper Ruspolia differens in raw condition after wild-harvesting in Uganda". Food Microbiology. 77: 106–117. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2018.09.005. ISSN 0740-0020. PMID 30297041. S2CID 52940781.
  3. Matojo, Nicodemus D.; Hosea, Keneth M. (2013-05-21). "Phylogenetic Relationship of the Longhorn Grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Northwest Tanzania Based on 18S Ribosomal Nuclear Sequences". Journal of Insects. 2013: e504285. doi:10.1155/2013/504285. ISSN 2356-7465.
  4. Leonard, Alfonce; Khamis, Fathiya M; Egonyu, James P; Kyamanywa, Samuel; Ekesi, Sunday; Tanga, Chrysantus M; Copeland, Robert S; Subramanian, Sevgan (2020-10-16). Liu, Tong-Xian (ed.). "Identification of Edible Short- and Long-Horned Grasshoppers and Their Host Plants in East Africa". Journal of Economic Entomology. 113 (5): 2150–2162. doi:10.1093/jee/toaa166. ISSN 0022-0493. PMID 33063829.
  5. Malinga, Geoffrey M; Acur, Amos; Ocen, Patrick; Holm, Sille; Rutaro, Karlmax; Ochaya, Stephen; Kinyuru, John N; Eilenberg, Jørgen; Roos, Nanna; Valtonen, Anu; Nyeko, Philip; Roininen, Heikki (2022-05-07). "Growth and Reproductive Performance of Edible Grasshopper (Ruspolia differens) on Different Artificial Diets". Journal of Economic Entomology. 115 (3): 724–730. doi:10.1093/jee/toac053. ISSN 0022-0493. PMID 35524751.
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