Winged bug wakes up every 4 yrs to join FIFA World Cup frenzy

A tiny bug in a remote hamlet of Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district is set to join the FIFA World Cup frenzy in June, much like the other residents of the village.

The winged bug that has timed its appearance with the football tournament has been fondly named 'Niang World Cup' (Niang means insect in Khasi) by the people of Saiden village, around 4km from district headquarters Nongpoh.

The insect announces its arrival in the bushes with a distinctive loud whistling sound, just a month ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the chairman of Ri Bhoi Tourism and Environmental Development Forum (RBTEDF), Plielad Tiewsoh, told PTI.

The residents of Saiden village have already started celebrating the reappearance of the World Cup insect, which surfaces every four years, Tiewsoh said.

"The villagers here have been witnessing the strange appearance of the insect for the past five to six decades. It emerges during the FIFA World Cup and stays till the tournament ends," he explained.

Originally named niangtaser (Chremistica Ribhoi), the winged bug is a sub-species of the Ciacada family found in South East Asian countries, S R Hajong, the insect expert at the North Eastern Hill University, told PTI.

The female bugs lay eggs in the grooves of bamboo trees. After hatching, the nymphs go underground, feed off the sap from the roots and emerge after four years. The niangtaser undergoes four mutations before growing wings, he said.

The insect shot to fame in 1990s when a group of local youths and elders first invited visitors to the village to witness the beautiful metamorphosis.

This year, too, the local people have organised a festival to celebrate the arrival of the Cicada insect.

Hundreds of visitors are making a beeline to the village to attend the fest, B Lyngdoh, an elderly resident of the village, said.

The insect serves as good fishing bait, he claimed.

The hunt for the bug has already begun in Saiden. The insect is cleaned and stewed and is sold in the festival area at Rs 400 per kilo, Lyngdoh said.

Hajong, however, lamented that the insect may face threats of extermination due to habitat loss and over-exploitation.

"The niangtaser is under threat as the bamboo groves are being replaced by agricultural lands. Moreover, hundreds of people are out every evening collecting the insect for sale," he added.