Edible Water Bug

Summary Naosek (Lethocerus indicus), the giant edible water bug long cherished in Manipuri cuisine, is teetering on the brink of extinction in the state’s paddy fields and wetlands. Once abundant across Loktak Lake and other shallow water bodies during the monsoon, this insect—valued for its distinctive aroma in dishes like eronba, laphu eromba, and morok…