The study of the plants hosts of the edible caterpillars of medicinal use used in the treatment of the diseases in the sector of Bakumu-Mangongo led to the inventory list of 18 species belonging to 12 different families to Fabaceae prevalence. These plants generally come from the forests secondary (12 species) and dominated especially by the trees (17 species), the phanerophytes in particular the mesophanerophytes (11espèces), the sarcochores (14 species) and with distribution Guineo-congolese (16 species) among which 9 species are Omni-guineo-congolese. The drugs are often prepared by decoction or aqueous maceration at basis of the fresh leaves, the roots, the barks of stem or trunk, the bark of root, latexes and are managed by oral route, anal way and bath of the body. Accessibility to the edible caterpillars and the plant species of medicinal value are the positive assets of these resources for the populations. On the other hand, the no-ecological exploitation of these resources could lead to deforestation, disappearance if not rarefaction of the biocenoses and the disturbance of the ecosystems.

The purpose of this work lies within the scope of the valorization of traditional food of the Democratic Republic of Congo in general and the province of Tshopo in particular and aims the inventory and evaluation of the nutritive value of the edible caterpillars of Kisangani city and its surroundings. The determination of moisture, the total lipids, total ashes, total proteins, the total sugars and the energy value was carried out according to usual techniques. 12 species of edible caterpillars were identified and gathered in three families: Attacidae (8 species, 67%), Notodontidae (3 species, 25%) and Nymphalidae (1 species, 8%). The average values of various calculated parameters are: water (60.92%), dry weight (39.08%), ashes (4.20 g), proteins (52.13 g), lipids (19.81%), sugars (1.19 g), and energy (392.33 kCal). The production of edible caterpillars must constitute an objective to be preached through agro-forestry programs for a sustainable management of the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo in general and those of the Tshopo Province in particular.