Picture of Planet Scott BAY AREA BUG EATING SOCIETY (B.A.B.E.S.)
For All Of Your Bug Eating Needs

What Is A Bug?

By Scott Bowers

The term bug is used in entomology to describe an insect of the order Hemiptera. All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs.

However, it is a common mistake to use bug in the vernacular to refer to all species of insects, as well as related families such as arachnida (spiders, scorpions), crustacea, and so on as bugs. Indeed, it is even common to use the term bug to describe totally unrelated species such as bacteria and viruses.

The Bay Area Bug Eating Society cannot discount the tremendous value that the vernacular imparts to the word bug. Therefore, for purposes of this club and its functions, the word bug will be defined as:

  1. Any generally land-dwelling arthropods which are suitable for eating.
  2. Land-dwelling arthropods unsuitable for eating due to either natural toxicity or unhygenic living conditions.
  3. Water-dwelling arthropods from families not commonly used as seafood. (i.e. insects, spiders)

We strongly hope that our definition will prove helpful in your selection of ingredients.



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