Maguey worms ( es, gusano del maguey, ; ), are one of two species of

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

caterpillars that infest maguey (''Agave americana'') and '' Agave tequilana'' plants.

White maguey worm

The white maguey worms, known as ''meocuiles'', are caterpillars of a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...

commonly named "tequila giant skipper," '' Aegiale hesperiaris''. ''Aegiale hesperiaris'' is found usually in regions of Central

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, on the leaves of Family Agavaceae plants, such as: '' Agave tequilana'' and ''

Agave americana ''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...

'' (maguey). They are not found on cacti, as is often erroneously reported. ''Aegiale hesperiaris'' butterflies deposit their eggs at the heart of the leaves of agaves. The larvae then eat the flesh of the agave stems and roots, sometimes boring out the agave completely.

Red maguey worm

The red maguey worms are known as ''chilocuiles, chinicuiles'' or ''tecoles'', and are the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of the

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

Comadia redtenbacheri ''Comadia redtenbacheri'' is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Mexico and southern Texas. The length of the forewings is 12–14 mm for males and 13–16 mm for females. The fo ...

''. These infest the core and roots of the maguey plant, often in a collective mass. Along with agave snout weevil larvae (

mezcal worm A mezcal worm is an insect larva found in some types of mezcal produced in Oaxaca, Mexico. The larva is usually either a ''gusano rojo'' ("red worm") or a ''chinicuil'' ("maguey worm"), the caterpillar of the '' Comadia redtenbacheri'' moth. The ...

), red maguey worms are one of the types of ''gusanos'' found in bottles of

mezcal Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word ''mezcal'' comes from Nahuatl , which means "oven-cooked agave", from and .What is MezcalElmezcal.org Traditionally the word " ...

liquor from the Mexican state of

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

In Mexican cuisine

When fully mature, these caterpillars appear fleshy-red and can measure up to . They are considered a highly nutritious delicacy in Mexican cuisine. One 100-gram serving contains over 650 calories, or the equivalent of two plates of rice. While they are sometimes eaten alive and raw, they are also considered delicious deep-fried or braised, seasoned with salt, lime, and a spicy sauce, and served in a tortilla.

References

Maguey worms: a mexican tasty snack
Edible insects Mexican cuisine Insect common names {{mexico-cuisine-stub