Nearly 2,000 species of insects are turned into food and form an important part.

Almost 2,000 insect species are turned into food,forming a big part of everyday diets for two billion people around the world. Countries in the tropics are the keenest consumers, because culturally, it's acceptable. Species in those regions are also large, diverse,and tend to congregate in groups or swarms that make them easy to harvest. Take Cambodia in Southeast Asia where huge tarantulas are gathered, fried, and sold in the marketplace. In southern Africa, the juicy mopane worm is a dietary staple, simmered in a spicy sauce or eaten dried and salted.And in Mexico, chopped jumiles are toasted with garlic, lemon, and salt.