The Importance of Insects as Food for the California Indians

In aboriginal California, various insects were eaten. Ethnographic and historical data were analyzed to distinguish commonly eaten insects from uncommonly eaten insects. These data were analyzed to determine the ecoregions where insects were important food sources. The Indians of the foothill woodlands and valley grasslands used insects for food more than Indians in other ecoregions. In general, Orthoptera, certain caterpillars, and social Hymenoptera were the most eaten insects. Many other insects were eaten only when convenient to gather, and some were only eaten in great hunger.