Lethocerus indicus

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Lethocerus indicus

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Family:	Belostomatidae
Genus:	Lethocerus
Species:	L. indicus

Binomial name

Lethocerus indicus
(Lepeletier & Serville, 1825)

Lethocerus indicus is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to Southeast Asia. It was originally described as Belostoma indicum but is no longer placed in that genus. It is well-known as an edible species, with a number of different regional cuisines preparing it in different manners.

1 In Vietnamese cuisine
2 In Thai cuisine
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] In Vietnamese cuisine

The Vietnamese name for the insect and its extract is cà cuống. The insect's essence (a pheromone produced by the male to attract mates) is harvested by collecting its liquid-producing sacs. That liquid is then placed in small glass containers. The insect is claimed to be scarce^{[citation needed]}, and demand for the extract is high. Most of the cà cuống essence on the market is therefore imitation, with the actual essence fetching a high price.

Cà cuống is typically used sparsely and eaten with bánh cuốn (rice noodle rolls) by adding a drop to the nước chấm (dipping sauce).

[edit] In Thai cuisine

Fried giant water bugs

In the northeast region of Thailand, eating insects is common. This species (known as mang dah; Thai: แมงดา) is a popular dish, eaten whole and fried, rather than as an extract.^[1]