Bamboo worm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bamboo worm |
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Omphisa
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O. fuscidentalis
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| Omphisa fuscidentalis (Hampson, 1896)
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The bamboo worm, also known as Omphisa fuscidentalis, is a type of moth from the Crambidae family. You can find these moths in bamboo forests and groves. They live in cooler areas of northern Thailand, northern Laos, northern Myanmar, and parts of Yunnan Province, China. The full-grown caterpillars of these moths are a special food for people in these regions.
Male bamboo worms have a wingspan of about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches). Their bodies are about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) long. Females are a bit bigger, with a wingspan of 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) and a body length of 2.2 centimeters (0.9 inches). The wings of this moth are orange-brown with black, curved stripes. The caterpillars are white and grow to be about 3.5 to 4 centimeters (1.4 to 1.6 inches) long.
Contents
What is the Life Cycle of a Bamboo Worm?
The adult bamboo moth has a short life. It only lives for about two months, usually in July and August. Mating happens at night in early August. After mating, the female moth lays a group of about 80 to 130 eggs. She places these eggs near the bottom of a bamboo shoot.
How Do Bamboo Worms Grow?
The tiny larvae (baby worms) hatch from the eggs after about 12 days. They are pale brown and covered with long hair. Working together, these larvae make an entrance hole in the bamboo in just one day. Once inside, they also quickly make an exit hole for the adult moths to use later. Within three days, the larvae turn white.
The larvae then bore their way upwards inside the bamboo. They move from one section, called an internode, to another. They eat the fresh inner part of the bamboo. This also helps them stay safe from predators like birds. After 45 to 60 days, the larvae become fully grown. They then move down to the internode that has the exit hole.
What is Diapause?
Once they reach the exit hole, the larvae enter a long resting period called diapause. This lasts for eight months. During this time, they hang upside down from the roof of the bamboo section. This long rest is unusual for an insect in a tropical area. It probably happens because of the region's monsoon climate. This climate has a cool, dry season from November to February. Then comes a hot season from March to June. After that, there is a wet period from June through October. These weather changes affect how much food is available for the larvae.
After diapause, the larvae change into pupae. The pupal stage lasts for 46 to 60 days. This stage usually happens in June and July. Finally, the adult moths emerge from the bamboo.
How Do Bamboo Worms Affect Bamboo Plants?
Bamboo worms can infest eleven different types of bamboo. Interestingly, their activity does not harm the bamboo plants. In fact, infested bamboo can even become stronger than bamboo that is not infested. However, the worms' activity might cause the bamboo shoots they live in to grow in unusual ways. In northern Thailand, bamboo worms have been found in several bamboo species. These include Dendrocalamus membranaceus, D. hamiltonii, D. strictus, Bambusa nutans, B. blumeana, Gigantochloa albociliata, and G. nigrociliata.
Why Do People Eat Bamboo Worms?
The larvae of the bamboo worm are edible. They are used as food in many parts of Asia. People mainly collect the larvae for eating during their diapause period. This is when the larvae gather together in one single section of the bamboo. To get them, people carefully pierce through parts of the bamboo shoots with a tool. It is important not to cut down the whole shoot. This helps protect the worms' natural home.
Eating bamboo worms, along with other insects, is becoming more popular in Asian regions. About 26% of a bamboo worm's body weight is protein. Also, about 51% is fat. In Thai cuisine, this special food is called "bamboo worm" (non mai phai). But because of how it looks, it is often called rot duan, which means "express train."
Bamboo worms are also seen as an environmentally friendly food choice. They do not need a lot of resources to be raised. Because more people want to eat bamboo worms, they are now being raised on farms. Insect farmers breed and grow them to make sure that the wild population is not harmed. Bamboo worms are usually eaten deep-fried. Sometimes, they are flavored with herbs, spices, or other seasonings.
