Moths, grubs, ants and other insects were important sources of energy for indigenous Australians whose traditional bush tucker diet was high in carbohydrates, protein and nutrients, and relatively low in fat and sugars.

Witchetty grubs, for example, were a staple food for many thousands of years and were eaten either raw or roasted. Even I remember finding witchetty grubs with my dad in the bush and cooking them on a griddle (like in this video – which some readers may find disturbing) along with yabbies from the dam.*

The true Central Australian witchetty grubs (Endoxyla leucomochla) live underground and feed on the roots of the ‘witchetty bush’ (See here for a video of locals digging for witchetty grubs and honey ants), but the term is also used for a wide range of stem-boring and root-feeding larvae of cossid and other wood moths and even some beetles.

The idea…