Our tropical paradise includes a few unwelcome (or delicious) critters

The tropical latitudes are described as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Since Mazatlán only lies about 20 kilometers south of the tropic of Cancer, sometime around noon on the summer solstice, the sun will be directly overhead, 90 degrees from all horizons. This auspicious event ushers in the tropical season that is famous for its heat, humidity and bugs. The effects of the heat and humidity can be mitigated with air conditioning; however the bugs of the tropics can invade even the tightest of homes. Some bugs we live with year-round and some are seasonal and appear only briefly.

The most common bug is here on a year-round basis, but its numbers do increase with the onset of the monsoon. I have been told the repugnant cockroach is one of the few things on this planet that would survive a nuclear holocaust; a very hardy bug. The lowly roach is an omnivorous scavenger whose sole purpose is to consume the decaying macrobiotic matter in its immediate environment. They are like little urban garbage men scurrying around removing bits and pieces of organic putrescence. In light of this service to the community, these creatures are an integral and important part of life in Mazatlán and should be grudgingly tolerated. I’m not suggesting we revere these squiggly foragers as the Chinese do the cricket, but understanding their purpose does make them a little less despicable. Besides, since they’re closely related to the lobster, they can’t be all that bad. I am in no way suggesting that La Cucaracha is an edible bug, however entomophagy (insect eating) is practiced in some parts of Mexico.

The Mexican comestible bug is known as jumil, chinche de monte or xotlinilli and is said to have a slight cinnamon flavor. These bugs are considered a delicacy by some and are found in the states of Morelos and Guerrero. What is more commonly known as a type of stink bug is used to make a specific sauce or taco filling. Since these cousins of the cockroach can live for several days after being decapitated and cooked, you have to hold your taco at both ends to keep the filling from escaping. I have had some questionable tacos over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing the delicate flavor of a stink bug taco.

The largest bug in the local area has eight legs, two arm-like feelers and is quite hairy. The venerable tarantula is a shy and somewhat docile creature that will make its home in an underground burrow and feed on a variety of insects. The Mexican Red Kneed Tarantula can grow to 18 centimeters across with a body length of 10 centimeters - a very impressive bug. These colorful carnivores are mostly found in the countryside and an urban encounter is unlikely.

As the rainy season gets underway, it seems like there’s some new exotic bug flying in every week. You don’t want to have your unscreened window open when the flying leaf-cutter ants are swarming around looking for a landing zone. The leaf-cutter ants that thrive throughout western Mexico are very sophisticated and have evolved fungus-based agriculture. The vegetable matter they collect is fed to fungus gardens deep within their nest and that fungus is ultimately used to feed the colony. A large colony can contain several million ants, and these colonies are literally everywhere. Out in the forest the leaf-cutter highways are stripes of bare ground that run for hundreds of meters through the dense vegetation. In Centro these ants cruise along sidewalks at night while plotting the destruction of someone’s patio plantings or roof garden.

The rush to renew life during the rainy season brings out several different types of bioluminescent bugs. The most spectacular of these is a large green beetle that if properly gripped can be used as a miniature flashlight. The Pyrophorus beetle puts out enough lumens to actually read by if held close to a printed page. It arrives in Mazatlán at the end of July and is the largest bioluminescent bug in the world, at two to three centimeters long.

As you sweat out the summer months in Mazatlán, enjoy the ever-changing variety of butterflies, beetles, giant flies, huge moths and blinking fireflies. Yes, the mosquitoes and no-seeums are also out and about, but all in all, the bugs with a high entertainment value far outnumber the pesky ones.

Bodie Kellogg was last seen collecting cockroaches to possibly be used in a culinary experiment. M! magazine strongly recommends you do not attend his upcoming taco party. Should you like to tell him to just bugger off, contact Bodie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .