An unorthodox contest in which contestants compete to eat the most insects in a given time period for cash or other prizes. Contrary to popular belief, consuming insects such as the giant roaches, crickets, spiders or superworms is generally considered safe, especially if the insects have been domestically raised in controlled environments. In order to participate in such competitions, contestants usually are required sign waivers accepting the risk associated with eating live insects.

Even though consuming insects is generally considered safe, contestants are still at risk of getting sick or even death due to extreme physiological disturbance caused intense disgust or bacteria induced nausea.