Witchetty Grub outback tours Scientific name Endoxyla leucomochla there are over 60 species in Australia Red Centre of Australia grubs description breeding tends to occur in summer months in the NT eggs hatch into small larvae

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Witchetty Grub

Scientific name: Endoxyla leucomochla

There are over 60 species of Endoxyla in Australia however the one known as the Endoxyla leucomochla is the one found in the Red Centre of Australia and has been traditionally eaten raw or cooked by indigenous people of these areas.

The Witchetty Grub was first scientifically recorded in 1915.

Description

The Witchetty grub is the larvae of the cossid moth. The grubs can grow up to 12 cm in size, they are cylindrical in shape, mainly creamy white in colour with a brown head and strong wood boring jaws.

The grubs can live up to 60 cm below ground, boring through the bark and into the sap root of the witchetty bush, an acacia like shrub.

The grubs feed off the sap, storing the energy in their bodies for the moth stage when they do not feed but fly around looking to mate and for the female to lay eggs.

The moths are large and have a wingspan of up to 16 cms. Both the female and male moth dies after approximately 2 weeks in this stage.

Breeding tends to occur in the summer months in the NT with the female moth laying up to 20,000 tiny yellow eggs at one time in a crevice in the bark of a tree.

The eggs hatch into small larvae about 1.5mm in size. The larvae then use their strong jaws to bore a tunnel through the bark of the roots into the sapwood. Here they make a small flat oval chamber, enlarging this chamber as they grow in size, giving themselves enough space to turn within. The larvae are cannibalistic; therefore there is only one grub per chamber.

They do not eat the wood, instead feasting on the sap of the tree roots however they use the sawdust and produce silk to create a small plug which they use to seal off the tunnel entrance. As they enlarge their home, they push the excess sawdust and their excrement through a small hole in the plug; this is the telltale sign for predators, such as humans, that a witchetty grub probably exists within the roots of a tree.

After about 2 years, the larvae have reached up to about 10 cm in size. Before turning into a chrysalis, the larvae burrows a bigger tunnel, ready for it to emerge as a moth.

The larvae then turns into a chrysalis. In this stage it has circles of spines on its body which enables it to wriggle along the tunnel. It uses its sharp teeth to cut through its protective threads and plug to emerge from the entrance as a moth, dry its wings and fly away to mate.

Root boring Witchetty Grubs are found in the central desert regions of the NT. They are extremely nutritious being high in fat and protein as well as water and are considered to be the true bush tucker witchetty grub traditionally eaten by aborigines in Australia’s Red Centre.

In the region around our camp, we have the trunk boring witchetty grubs also of the Cossidae family.

These grubs are smaller than their Red Centre cousins, burrowing into trunks of trees (acacias and eucalypts) to create their chamber and feeding off the tree’s regenerative callus growth.

The life cycle and burrowing antics are the fairly similar to their more famous cousin but they are not as good eating, being tougher and woodier.

There is approximately 1027 KJ (or about 245cal) per 100g of true witchetty grub meat.

They have a nutty flavour and taste a little like chicken when cooked.

Please ask our guides Ian and Nick to try to find some for you when you are out on your field trip.

Once grubs are found, Ian and Nick are more than happy to prepare them either raw or cooked for you so you can experience the ultimate in Bush tucker whilst at camp.