2.Herlina Menufandu
Hunting bugs in Pass Valley

The author of this article collected beetles together with children of the Yali tribe at Pass Valley in 2005. Suddenly the children shouted and after asking what there were doing they explained playing collecting “Babukulit” which is Nezara viridula Linnaeus (Hemiptera, Heteroptera). This bug really smells and is called “smelling animal”, however different from “sticking bites” which were members of Cimicidae. However the ‘smelling bugs” are members of the Miridae, Reduviidae or Pentatomidae family. Nezara viridula, which is a pest, occurs in various colors: metallic green and metallic blue. This bug is a delicacy for the local people, more than Behrensiellus glabratusPascoe which also is a common pest.
Many insects (as cicadas, beetles, bugs and May flies (Ephemeroptera)) will never be overwhelming, as they will be collected by local people for their daily meal.
Papuans which were often said to destroy nature realize that they depend on their environment for their daily life, and are better ‘conservators’ than many people from outside. More surveys should be done in order to know what insects are daily consumption for local people in the various areas of Papua.

Download PDF: