The identify of the caterpillar was not known, but a bamboo collector from Brazil asked the following:

• The bamboo is dried or green?
• This larva it is inside the culm? Or inside the wall of the culm?
• They are outside? Over the branches or leaves?
• If the stems are dried are they boiled or received any chemical treatment?
• Do you know the bamboo species?

Other photos were sent to help understand the infestation (lower image). The caterpillars were collected from inside the green bamboo shoots. It was suggested that the larvae are reared and adults sent for identification. However, the sender lives 300 km away from his office!

Finally, a moderator (Thailand) suggested that the larvae look similar to the bamboo borer, Omphisa faseldentalis (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). They are found in bamboo in northern Thailand. It is one of the common edible insects. The larvae are commonly collected from the wild and when crispy fried they become a delicacy. You may check FAO publications on edible insects to find out if it may be one of the closely related lepidopterous species (http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm).

And as suggested you have to have adult specimens to enable proper identification.

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