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    Mezcal Worm in a Bottle: DNA Testing Yields Unexpected Results

    By PeerJ16 Comments3 Mins Read
    Mezcal Bottle Worm
    A study published in PeerJ Life & Environment analyzed the species of larvae found in bottles of Mezcal, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from agave. Somewhat unexpectedly, the study found that all the larvae were of a single moth species, C. redtenbacheri, which is one of the most commonly consumed edible insects in Mexico.

    Research identified Mezcal larvae as belonging to the moth species Comadia redtenbacheri, a popular but declining edible insect.

    A new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment looked to identify the species of larva found in bottles of Mezcal. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. It is often served with a slice of orange and a dusting of worm salt, which is a mixture of ground-up chili peppers, salt, and ground-up larvae of a moth species called Hypopta agavis.

    Are people consuming larvae of the skipper butterfly Aegiale hesperiaris, or the larva of the moth Comadia redtenbacheri, the latter of which is thought to be declining in numbers in recent years? Or is the worm the larva of a weevil, or another unidentified insect species? Researchers used DNA-based identification analysis of larvae inside 21 commercially available mezcals to determine their identity.

    Mezcal Bottle
    Mezcal is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage that is made from the agave plant, which is native to Mexico. It is similar to tequila but is made from a wider variety of agave plants and is typically produced using traditional methods such as underground pit ovens and stone mills.

    Specimens were obtained from mezcal bottles that were purchased between 2018 and 2022.

    • All larvae appeared superficially very similar, with a distinct head capsule and prolegs that are characteristic of lepidopteran larvae.
    • Some specimens were white, others were pinkish-red.
    • Of the 21 larvae subjected to DNA extraction, 18 yielded DNA sequences that were suitable for analysis.
    DNA Sequenced Mezcal Worms
    Maximum likelihood tree showing the placement of the 18 successfully sequenced mezcal worms (in bold and red) in relationship to publicly available COI sequences of Comadia redtenbacheri (Hammerschmidt) and related Cossidae species. Scale bar = number of substitutions/site. Credit: Photo by Jose I. Martinez

    The results were somewhat unexpected. Historically there are about 63 species of larvae or “worms” that are consumed in Mexico, including the Tequila giant skipper (A. hesperiaris) which, given its name, implies that it is included in tequila and other mezcals.

    The study found that all larvae are a single moth species affirming the importance of C. redtenbacheri for the mezcal industry. Larvae of C. redtenbacheri are one of the most popular edible insects in Mexico.

    Mezcal Worm
    Closeup image showing a worm inside a bottle of “Lajita Reposado” mezcal. Credit: Photo by Akito Y. Kawahara

    Adding larvae to Mexican beverages and foods (salts, garnishes, powders, etc.) is driven by health benefits and by beliefs that these larvae contain aphrodisiac properties (Contreras-Frias, 2013). This trend is resulting in greater demand that is applying pressure to local larval populations.

    In response to the declining number of mezcal larvae, researchers have begun to develop methods to cultivate these larvae in captivity.

    For more on this research, see Scientists Discover the Unexpected True Identity of “Tequila” Worms.

    Reference: “Mezcal worm in a bottle: DNA evidence suggests a single moth species” by Akito Y. Kawahara​, Jose I. Martinez, David Plotkin, Amanda Markee, Violet Butterwort, Christian D. Couch and Emmanuel F.A. Toussaint, 8 March 2023, PeerJ.
    DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14948

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    16 Comments

    1. Cliff on

      Researchers: “We have to do genetic testing to determine what species of worm is in these bottles! BEGIN RESEARCH!!!”

      Everyone else: “Um… ask the manufacturer…?”

      Reply
    2. Griz326 on

      Eat the worm and see god! šŸ˜‰
      My girlfriend back then loved to drink mezcal with me because it made me a wild man šŸ™‚

      Reply
    5. Roy Shewmake on

      Make no mistake about it. They want us eating bugs daily. This is how they push it on us slowly but surely. We Serfs get bugs. They get whatever they want.

      Reply
    6. Trumps Cellulite on

      I think Iā€™d prefer these worms stir fried, while watching MAGA moron 45 being indicted, cuffed and mug shots taken. šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

      Reply
    8. The Joshua P.A. on

      And the worms ate into his brain, worms love the rain so it must rain tequila somewhere , it’s does make her clothes fall off, but me I put em on a hook and catch my dinner not a hangover

      Reply
    9. John on

      I, & a guy I used to drink with, stopped one afternoon for a ā€œfewā€ brown bottles, and saw that there were 33 bottles of Mezcal, (airplane, 2 shot bottles), up on the shelf that another friend of ours had paid his beer tab with, we drank all 33 bottles while out drinking, & drank ourselves sober, ā€¦ But we were tough back in those days, lmbo!

      Reply
    10. JWAD on

      Usually, whoever finished the bottle ate the worm. I used to get the worm out of the bottle first, without using any type of utensils. Try it some time, I’ll wait.šŸ˜‰

      Reply
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