For years, only the witchetty grub was classified as edible – until Conrad Bilney’s Australian-first study.

The PhD candidate’s research into the grubs, which are actually the larvae of moths and beetles that live in tree trunks or plant roots, collected more than 200 grubs with the help of traditional owners across Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

“I talked to a lot of Aboriginal traditional owners about what they ate as part of a literature review,” Mr Bilney said.

“I found that a lot of information relating to insects had been recorded, but hadn’t progressed any further – it was just an observation.

“Because of that, the witchetty grub was scientifically classified.” 

Mr Bilney’s study has matched the grubs’ DNA to insects, connecting most of them to certain families of moths and beetles.

“This has been a combination of traditional Aboriginal knowledge and western science producing a unique, one-off project,” Mr Bilney said.

“These grubs are not only delicious, but an incredibly important source of nutrition for Indigenous Australians who live in desert areas, where energy-rich foods are scarce.

“I hope my study will pave the way forward for further research.

“We need to learn more about where these grubs live and when they hatch, so was can tailor conservation efforts.” 

Research supervisor Dr Susan Lawler said the study was about linking traditional knowledge with scientific methodology.

“We knew there was a gap in knowledge from a scientific point of view,” she said.

“In order to do this we’ve worked with Indigenous communities to find out which grubs they eat and help us collect them.”