Scientific inspiration is everywhere, even in restaurants and bars in Oaxaca, Mexico. So a team of entomologists decided to use DNA sequencing to identify the larvae lurking in bottles of mezcal, the country’s iconic alcohol.
“We were taking a break and we were at a restaurant and just saw these bottles,” says Akito Kawahara, lead author of the new study and curator of butterflies and moths at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “One thing led to another, and we started thinking about what a larva is.”
After analyzing nearly 20 bottles of alcohol, the scientists determined that all the mezcal “worms” they tested belonged to one species of moth. Peer JAccording to Kawahara, it was a bit of a surprise to find only one species. Because he and his colleagues have identified three prime suspects in him. These are all agave plant parasite larvae that are processed to make mezcal. Tequila Giant He’s a butterfly called Skipper. (Egiar Hesperia), agave weevil, (Siphophorus acupunctatus) and Comadia redtenbacheri, Moth known as agave whose juveniles are red. It was this last species that turned out to be a mysterious larva.
Mezcal is closely related to tequila, which is made exclusively from a specific variety of agave, but mezcal can be made from many species. Tequila does not contain worms, but mezcal does, a marketing ploy that is a nod to Mexico’s strong culture of eating insects (the country has more than 400 edible species). species live). Anne Gschaedler, a researcher at the Center for Technology and Design Research Support in Jalisco, Mexico (CIATEJ), was not involved in the new study, but today, parasite-laden mezcal is more sought after by nonmedical people. says there is. More Mexican than local, though.
Some scientists not involved in the paper found the findings predictable. Ricardo Castro Torres, an entomologist at the Graduate University of Mexico, said in the following email: Scientific American“In my opinion, there’s really a consensus about which species are in mezcal bottles.” He pointed out that the identification of the species was unclear in previous studies conducted by
researchers have long known that C. redtenbacheri spawn on agave. The larvae grow by tunneling into the fleshy base of the plant, grow (and turn distinctively red), turn into cream-colored moths, and leave the plant. I’m talking about the change in color.
For the new study, Kawahara and his colleagues collected 21 bottles of mezcal from 18 different manufacturers, sieved each bottle, and hooked a “worm”. Continuing, all three mezcal worm candidates are larvae, awaiting adult metamorphosis.)
The researchers then examined each specimen directly and took a section of the chest for DNA sequencing. Luckily for Burr’s detectives, mezcal is an ideal environment to take samples because alcohol helps preserve genetic material. Ultimately, genetic analysis identified 18 samples with: C. redtenbacheriThe researchers wrote that they were likely unable to obtain DNA samples from the three worms because these worms had been roasted before being placed in the mezcal. These specimens were morphologically consistent with red agave worms.
The study may not be good news for red agave worms in the wild. Kawahara says these larvae are getting harder to find. C. redtenbacheri Moths rely solely on the agave plant for most of their life cycle, even though the local environment has changed and the demand for mezcal and agave has risen alike. While this may mean more agave plants for earthworms to live in, crop damage (particularly by the agave weevil, which was a candidate for the mezcal worm’s identity), has forced growers to use pesticides in earnest. may start to
“I’m worried if the demand continues like this,” says Kawahara. “At this stage, moths are not necessarily endangered or threatened, but the possibility of such an event definitely exists.”
