Abstract

ESPARZA-FRAUSTO, Gastón et al. Edible insects associated to wild agave comunities in the ejido Tolosa, Pinos, Zacatecas, Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2008, vol.42, n.2, pp.243-252. ISSN 2521-9766.

The wild green agave communities (Agave salmiana spp crassispina) of the southeast of Zacatecas, Mexico, have been overexploited in the last decades, and their deterioration affect the associated entomofauna, also collected empirically, which makes it necessary to redefine their exploitation. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the stocks of white grub, red grub, and escamoles (ant larvae) associated to the natural agave communities of the ejido Tolosa, as well as to determine their characteristics. A photogrammetric analysis was used to digitalize a map of distribution of wild agave communities, where - based on the density of agaves and their dispersal - homogeneous environmental units (UA) were delimited. By means of nested sites and random stratified field sampling, using 250 m² plots, the ecological attributes of shrub vegetation were described. The same as the agaves, the communities were the objective for quantifying the insects; they were used as strata to calculate their stock. Three UA with an area of 10 894.6 ha with different ecological attributes (dominance/index and species diversity) were detected. Stocks of 10.5, 11.0, and 21.7 t of white grub, red grub, and escamoles, were calculated, that with a sequenced collection scheme, per annual season, could generate 26 210 daily wages for the ejido, allowing to obtain additional economic income and favoring the integrated exploitation of their natural resources.

Keywords : Acentrocneme (Aegiale) hesperiaris; Agave salmiana; Comadia redtenbacheri; Liometopum apiculatum; exploitation.

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