Dr. Schmidt then froze both adult workers and drones and tasted the various parts. Worker thoraces tasted fine, but were somewhat crunchy due to the wings, legs and other roughage. Heads, however, tasted like paint thinner. Abdomens were pungent and aromatic like curry spices, but with the added benefit of being slightly bitter and hydrolytic. This is understandable, Dr. Schmidt says, because drones have no known or meaningful pheromones or chemical defenses.
Thoraces have no pheromones and thus are universally tasty.
Although lighthearted in approach, the newsletter seriously recommends insects as food for both humans and domestic animals. And not only does the industry have no plan, it also has no formal planning process. The result of this is a patchwork of regulatory efforts, Mr. Bach said, that are not coordinated. It will also allow each state to direct the movement and placement of colonies which meet their import criteria. The details of the above plan are not yet clear.