3.Henk van Mastrigt
‘Tonggeret’ delicacy for Papua people

During a visit to Timeepa and Modio in the Weyland Mountains in 1979 I realized that cicadas were the real delicacy for local people. At the next visit I understood that ‘waine’, the most delicious cicada, has a two years season and was not present during my visit. This Ekagi tribe in the Mapia area has good knowledge about cicada for which they have many local words which fit with the scientific names. 
Besides cicada – food for various tribes in the interior of Papua – also grasshoppers and large moths are collected as food. Although I never studied insects as food for local people, based on experience can be concluded that
· Cosmopsaltria are a delicacy for many tribes
· Other insects and spiders are also eaten, but are second choice
· Many insects are eatable, but collecting large ones is more efficient
· Using lamps makes collecting easy, so people became more active when electricity is available.
With many choices of other food cicada will not be collected by people anymore, but the praying mantis (Mantoidea) also loves cicadas as a meal.

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