Scientists recently published a study in PeerJ Life & Environment to find out what kinds of bug larvae are found in bottles of Mezcal. Mezcal is an alcoholic drink made with agave and usually it comes with an orange slice and a small pinch of something called ‘worm salt’. This type of salt consists of chili peppers, salt and ashes that come from the larvae of a moth species known as Hypopta agavis.
Are people eating the larvae of the skipper butterfly or a certain moth, which is thought to be decreasing in number recently? Or maybe it’s some kind of small worm or bug that we don’t know about? To find out what type of insects people are consuming, researchers tested 21 bottles of mezcal. They used a special DNA analysis to identify what critters were inside. All these bottles were bought between 2018 and 2022.
At first glance, all the larvae looked the same. They had special heads and legs that made them look like butterflies. Some of them were white, some were pinkish-red. Out of 21 larvae, only 18 gave us enough DNA for us to analyze it properly.
A recent study came up with an unexpected result. In Mexico, there are around 63 species of larvae or “worms” that people eat – even the Tequila giant skipper (A. hesperiaris) which is included in making tequila and mezcals.
The research showed that all the larvae were from one particular moth species: the C. redtenbacheri moth – which makes it very important for producing mezcal liquor. And best of all, the C. redtenbacheri larvae are amongst the most popular edible insects in Mexico!
Adding larvae to Mexican drinks and snacks (like salt, toppings, and seasonings) has become popular because people think the larvae make things taste better and give them special powers. Because of this, lots of people are asking for these larvae which means there aren’t enough for everyone. To help with this problem, people have started trying to make more larvae in places other than where they live in nature.
This article titled “Mezcal Worm in a Bottle: DNA Evidence Suggests a Single Moth Species” talks about 3 key topics.
First, it discusses how scientists use different kinds of tests to figure out if there is iodized salt or non-iodized salt in something.
Second, it looks into the iodine nutrition level of children and mothers living in places with no access to iodized salt.
Finally, researchers looked at the physical traits and changes of people with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome I.
We were studying three different families, and looking at their genes in order to understand four different problems.
The first was a family with hearing loss that was passed down from one generation to the next.
The second was about viruses spread by mosquitoes at the border between China and Myanmar.
The third was about a type of disease that affects movement and sensation called Charcot-Marie-Tooth, which appeared to be inherited.
The fourth was about a Chinese family that had an eye problem from birth, which we figured out was because of a mutation in one of their genes.
