Total lipid content and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of six species of insects (mole cricket, ground cricket, spur-throated grasshopper, giant water bug, true water beetle and water scavenger beetle) were determined. The total PUFA ranged from 726 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 2883 mg/100 g in ground cricket; 18:2n-6 was the major PUFA in most insects, except in spur-throated grasshopper where the predominant PUFA was 18:3n-3. The C20 PUFA, 20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3 were only found in aquicolous species, 149 and 57 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle, 233 and 92 mg/100 g in true water beetle, and 569 and 264 mg/100 g in giant water bug, respectively. Total monounsaturatedfatty acid (MUFA) content ranged from 714 ing/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 5889 mg/100 g in giant water bug; total saturated fatty acid (SFA) content rangedfrom 653 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 5432 mg/100 g in giant water bug. The major MUFA in all insects was 18:1 and predominant SFA was 16:0. Results also showed the ratios of n-6/n-3 ranged from 0.3 in spur-throated grasshopper to 31 in mole cricket. The aquicolous edible insects may be an alternative source of C20 long-chain PUFA. Journal compilation © 2006, Blackwell Publishing.