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Table 1 Amino acid content of common edible insects (% in crude protein of dry weight)

From: Edible insects as a food source: a review

Name

Stage/Part

Crude protein (%)

Essential

Semi-essential

Ile

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Trp

Val

Arg

His

Cys

Tyr

Blattodea (cockroach)

 

68.33

4.57

7.77

7.80

3.13

4.60

4.93

0.97

7.70

7.43

3.13

1.23

8.93

Blatta lateralis

Nymph

76.00

7.70

12.00

12.80

3.40

7.70

7.90

1.70

12.30

14.00

5.50

1.40

14.30

Periplaneta americana

Adult

66.00

3.10

5.60

5.00

3.60

3.10

3.60

0.60

6.50

5.10

2.00

2.00

6.90

Periplaneta australasiae

Adult

63.00

2.90

5.70

5.60

2.40

3.00

3.30

0.60

4.30

3.20

1.90

0.30

5.60

Coleoptera

 

41.75

5.58

8.13

5.55

1.38

3.68

3.25

0.78

5.90

5.10

2.60

1.13

4.50

Callipogon barbatus (longhorned beetle)

Larva

41.00

5.80

10.00

5.70

2.00

4.70

4.00

0.70

7.00

5.90

2.00

2.00

4.20

Rhynchophorus phoenicis (African palm weevil)

Larva

33.00

7.80

5.90

6.40

1.20

3.30

1.40

0.50

5.50

  

1.10

1.40

Tenebrio molitor (Yellow mealworm beetle)

Larva

48.00

4.00

6.90

4.90

1.20

3.20

3.60

1.00

5.90

4.50

2.70

0.60

5.40

Zophobas morio (superworm)

Larva

45.00

4.70

9.70

5.20

1.10

3.50

4.00

0.90

5.20

4.90

3.10

0.80

7.00

Diptera

 

48.80

3.74

6.48

5.74

2.00

4.76

3.98

1.43

5.12

5.05

2.38

0.83

5.52

Copestylum anna (hoverfly)

Larva

37.00

4.00

7.40

5.50

1.90

5.40

4.90

0.70

6.10

6.30

2.90

1.80

6.60

Ephydra hians

Larva

42.00

4.00

7.40

5.50

1.90

5.40

4.90

0.70

6.10

 

1.00

 

5.10

Hermetia illucens (soldier fly)

Larva

49.00

4.00

6.60

5.60

1.40

3.80

3.60

1.10

5.60

4.80

2.60

0.70

6.00

Musca domestica (house fly)

Pupa

62.00

3.50

5.30

5.20

2.60

4.20

3.20

 

3.40

4.20

2.60

0.40

4.80

Musca domestica (house fly)

Larva

54.00

3.20

5.70

6.90

2.20

5.00

3.30

3.20

4.40

4.90

2.80

0.40

5.10

Hemiptera

 

48.83

3.93

6.45

3.93

2.78

5.93

3.90

0.78

5.38

3.76

2.50

1.80

5.62

Aspongubus viduatus (melon bug)

Adult

27.00

2.10

2.30

1.60

3.60

1.10

1.80

 

2.60

1.30

2.10

2.10

1.70

Euschistus egglestoni (stink bug)

Adult

46.00

4.40

7.00

3.00

2.80

3.30

4.80

0.60

6.10

4.30

3.20

1.00

4.80

Hoplophorion monogramma (treehopper)

Adult

62.00

4.10

7.70

5.30

1.90

4.70

4.50

1.00

7.40

4.50

1.50

2.10

9.00

Krizousacorixa azteca (waterboatman)

eggs

64.00

5.00

8.00

3.50

2.90

6.20

4.00

1.10

6.00

    

Pachilis gigas

Adult

65.00

4.20

6.90

4.50

3.60

14.40

3.60

0.60

6.20

4.10

2.00

2.40

5.80

Umbonia reclinata

Adult

29.00

3.80

6.80

5.70

1.90

5.90

4.70

0.60

4.00

4.60

3.70

1.40

6.80

Hymenoptera

 

51.43

5.20

8.27

6.27

1.85

2.60

4.70

0.39

6.10

5.03

2.61

1.60

4.87

Apis mellifera (honeybee)

Adult

51.00

5.60

9.60

6.60

 

0.90

5.50

0.00

6.90

5.90

2.50

1.70

4.50

Apis mellifera (honeybee)

Pupa

49.00

5.60

7.70

7.30

 

0.50

4.60

0.00

5.90

5.60

2.70

1.00

4.90

Apis mellifera (honeybee)

Larva

42.00

6.00

9.40

7.00

 

0.80

6.10

0.00

6.20

6.00

2.60

1.30

2.00

Atta mexicana (leafcutting ant)

Adult

58.00

5.30

8.00

4.90

1.90

4.10

4.30

0.60

6.40

4.70

2.50

1.50

4.70

Brachygastra azteca (wasp)

Pupa

70.00

5.10

8.50

6.10

1.40

4.10

4.40

0.70

6.40

4.40

2.80

1.60

6.50

Parachartegus apicalis (wasp)

Pupa

50.00

4.20

7.70

5.80

2.00

4.30

4.70

0.50

5.70

4.30

2.90

2.00

7.10

 Bee brood

Immature stages

40.00

4.60

7.00

6.20

2.10

3.50

3.30

0.90

5.20

4.30

2.30

2.10

4.40

Isoptera (termite)

 

33.00

5.10

7.80

5.40

0.80

4.40

2.80

1.40

7.30

6.90

5.10

1.90

3.00

Macrotermes bellicosus

Dewinged adults

33.00

5.10

7.80

5.40

0.80

4.40

2.80

1.40

7.30

6.90

5.10

1.90

3.00

Lepidoptera

 

65.25

4.58

6.45

6.33

1.38

5.10

3.75

1.00

7.45

4.17

1.50

1.23

 

Anaphe venata (African silkworm)

Larva

58.00

2.10

1.30

0.90

0.00

2.10

0.40

0.00

1.80

0.30

0.80

0.00

2.50

Imbrasia epimethea (mopane caterpillar)

Larva

62.00

2.90

8.10

7.40

2.20

6.50

4.80

1.60

10.20

6.60

2.00

1.90

7.50

Imbrasia truncata (mopane caterpillar)

Larva

65.00

2.40

7.30

7.90

2.20

6.20

4.70

1.70

10.20

5.60

1.70

1.70

7.60

Usta terpsichore (mopane caterpillar)

Larva

76.00

10.90

9.10

9.10

1.10

5.60

5.10

0.70

7.60

  

1.30

3.30

Orthoptera

 

59.17

3.98

7.40

5.12

1.45

4.37

3.53

0.65

5.12

5.35

1.93

1.30

 

Acheta domesticus (cricket)

Adult

62.00

2.60

4.50

3.50

0.90

1.40

2.20

0.40

3.70

3.70

1.60

 

2.50

Boopedon flaviventris (boopies)

Adult

56.00

4.70

8.80

5.50

1.80

4.10

4.40

0.60

5.70

4.30

2.40

2.00

7.40

Gryllus assimilis (cricket)

Adult

56.00

3.40

6.60

5.00

1.20

2.90

3.30

0.70

5.30

5.80

2.10

0.50

4.50

Gryllodes silligatus (cricket)

Nymph

56.00

3.70

6.90

5.30

1.60

3.10

3.50

0.90

5.20

5.70

2.20

0.90

4.20

Sphenarium histrio (grasshopper)

Adult

60.00

5.30

8.70

5.70

0.70

4.40

4.00

0.60

5.10

6.60

1.10

1.30

7.30

Sphenarium purpurascens (grasshopper)

Adult

65.00

4.20

8.90

5.70

2.50

10.30

3.80

0.70

5.70

6.00

2.20

1.80

6.30

Common Meat

 Beef

  

5.10

8.40

8.40

2.30

4.00

4.00

 

5.70

6.60

2.90

1.40

3.20

 Pork

  

4.90

7.50

7.90

2.50

4.10

5.10

 

5.00

6.40

3.20

1.30

3.00

 Chicken

Broiler, breast

 

4.20

6.90

7.80

2.10

2.50

3.70

 

4.60

6.40

4.40

 

3.50

 Amino acid requirement in human nutrition (mg)

  

30.00

59.00

45.00

16.00

 

23.00

6.00

39.00

 

15.00

16.00

 
  1. The average data of each order are bold. The data were summarized by the following references: Józefiak et al. 2016, Kulma et al. 2016, Finke 2005, 2013, Mariod et al. 2011, Van Huis et al. 2013, Belluco et al. 2013, Ramos-Elorduy et al. 1997, Rumpold and Schluter 2013. Mean values are shown if multiple different reports exist
  2. Ile Isoleucine, Leu Leucine, Lys Lysine, Met Methionine, Cys Cysteine, Phe Phenylalanine, Tyr Tyrosine, Thr Threonine, Trp Tryptophan, Val Valine, Arg Arginine, His Histidine