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'''Ethnoentomology''' is the study of the relationship between ]s and people. The name is derived from "]" - study of people and "]" - study of insects. The focus of ethnoentomology is on how insects have been or are being used in human societies around the world. This includes insects used for food, rituals and medicine. |
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==Insects as food== |
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] refers to the eating of insects. Many insects are considered a culinary ] in many parts of the world, but the practice is uncommon and even taboo in other societies. Insects used in food include ], ], ]s, ]s & other beetle and moth larvae; crickets, ] & locusts; and arachnids, such as ]s & ]s. They can be eaten on their own or mixed with other ingredients, such is the case with ]. |
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==Insects in medicine== |
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===Traditional and Alternative Use of Insects in Medicine=== |
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The medicinal uses of insects were often defined by the ], which stated that an organism bearing parts that resemble human body parts, animals, or other objects, was though to have useful relevance to those parts, animals or objects. So, for example, the femurs of grasshoppers, which were said to resemble the human liver, were used to treat liver ailments by the indigenous peoples of Mexico.<ref name="Mexico">Ramos-Elorduy de Concini, J. and J.M. Pino Moreno. (1988). The utilization of insects in the empirical medicine of ancient Mexicans. ''Journal of Ethnobiology, 8(2), 195-202.''</ref> This doctrine is common throughout traditional and alternative medicine, but is most prominent where medical traditions are broadly accepted, as in ] and ], and less by community and family based medicine, as is more common in parts of Africa. |
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====Traditional Chinese Medicine==== |
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) includes the use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy. It is a typical component of modern medical care throughout East Asia and in some parts of Southeast Asia (such as Thailand). Insects are very commonly incorporated as part of the herbal medicine component of TCM, and their medical properties and applications are broadly accepted and agreed upon. Some brief examples follow: |
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] is used to treat tetanus, seizures, and convulsions.<ref name="centipede"></ref> It is also said to relieve sores and carbuncles on the skin, to alleviate pain, especially that of headaches, and to be a cure for snakebite.<ref name="centipede" /> Centipede is typically dried, ground into a paste, and applied topically to the afflicted area. |
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The Chinese Black Mountain Ant is supposed to act as a cure all and is widely used, especially by the elderly.<ref name="Chinese Black Mountain Ant"></ref> Chinese Black Mountain Ant extract is typically consumed mixed with wine or beer. |
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====India and Ayurveda==== |
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], much like Traditional Chinese Medicine, is almost universally incorporated alongside Western medicine as a typical component of medical treatment in India. Although Ayurvedic medicine is often effective, it (as well as TCM) is often plagued by worryingly inconsistent dosages and frequent contamination of natural medicines with toxic heavy metals.<ref name="Nyishi"> Chakravorty, J., Ghosh, S., and V.B. Meyer-Rochow. (2011). Practices of entomophagy and entomotherapy by members of the Nyishi and Galo tribes, two ethnic groups of the state of Arunachal Pradesh (North-East India). ''Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 7(5)''</ref> Some brief examples to follow: |
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] is said to cure a variety of diseases, both specific and vague. Typically the mound or a portion of the mound is dug up and the termites and the architectural components of the mound are together ground into a paste which is then applied topically to the effected areas or, more rarely, mixed with water and consumed.<ref name="Bioprospecting"> Srivastava, S.K., Babu, N., and H. Pandey. (2009). Tradtional insect bioprospecting--As human food and medicine. ''Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 8(4):'' 485-494.</ref> This treatment was said to cure ulcers, rheumatic diseases, and anemia.<ref name="Nyishi" /> It was also been suggested to be a general pain reliever and health improver.<ref name="Nyishi" /> |
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The Jatropha Leaf Miner, a lepidopteran which feeds preferentially on Jatropha, is an example of a major insect agricultural pest which is also a medicinal remedy.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> The larvae, which are also the form of the insect with the greatest economic impact on agriculture, are harvested, boiled, and mashed into a paste which is administered topically and is said to induce lactation, reduce fever, and sooth gastrointestinal tracts.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> |
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====Africa==== |
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Unlike China and India, the traditional insect medicine of Africa is extremely variable. It is largely regional, with few, if any, major agreements on which insects are useful as treatments for which ailments.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> Most insect medicinal treatments are passed on through communities and families, rather than being taught in university settings, as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda sometimes are; furthermore, most traditional medicine practices necessitate a person in a "healer" role.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> Some brief examples to follow: |
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] is both commonly eaten as a delicacy and an excellent source of protein ''and'' is consumed for medicinal purposes.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> These insects are typically collected, dried in the sun, and then ground into a powder.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> The powder can then be turned into a paste when mixed with water and ash and applied to the forehead to alleviate the pain of violent headaches.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> Additionally, the headaches themselves can be prevented by a "healer" inserting the paste under the skin at the nape of the afflicted person's neck.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> |
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] are also used in parts of Africa much like they are in India.<ref name="Nyishi" /> Parts of the mound are dug up, boiled, and turned into a paste, which can then be applied to external wounds to prevent infection or consumed to treat internal hemorrhages.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> Interestingly, termites are used not only as a form of medicine, but also as a medical device. If a "healer" wants to insert a medicine subcutaneously, they will often spread that medicine on the skin of the patient, and then agitate a termite and place the insect on the skin of the patient.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> When the termite bites, its mandibles effectively serve as an injection device.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> |
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====Americas==== |
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The Americas were more highly influenced by the Doctrine of Signatures than China, India, or Africa, most likely because of their colonial history with Europe. The majority of insect use in medicine is associated with Central America and parts of South America, rather than North America, and most of it is based on the medical techniques of indigenous peoples.<ref name="Mexico" /> Currently, insect medicine is practiced much more rarely than in China, India, or Africa, though it is still relatively common in rural areas with large indigenous populations.<ref name="Mexico" /> Some examples to follow: |
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], or grasshoppers, are commonly consumed as a toasted regional dish in some parts of Mexico, but they are also used medicinally.<ref name="Mexico" /> They are said to serve as diuretic to treat kidney diseases, to reduce swelling, and to relieve the pain of intestinal disorders when they are consumed.<ref name="Mexico" /> However, there are some risks associated with consuming chapulines, as they are known to harbor nematodes which may be transmitted to humans upon consumption. |
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Much like the termites of Africa, ants were sometimes used as medicinal devices by the indigenous peoples of Central America.<ref name="Mexico" /> The soldier cast of the ] would be collected and used as living sutures by Mayans.<ref name="Mexico" /> Typically, this would involve agitating an ant and holding its mandibles up to the wound edges; when it bit down, they would remove the thorax and abdomen, leaving only the head holding the wound together.<ref name="Mexico" /> The salivary gland secretions of the ant were also reputed to have antibiotic properties.<ref name="Mexico" /> The venom of the ] was used to cure rheumatism, arthritis, and polimyelitis via the immunological reaction produced by its sting. This technique--in which ants are allowed to sting afflicted areas in a controlled manner--is still used in some rural, arid areas of Mexico.<ref name="Mexico" /> |
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The silkworm ] was also commonly consumed both as a regional food and for medicinal purposes in Central America after it was brought to the New World by the Spanish and Portuguese.<ref name="Mexico" /> Only the immatures are consumed. Boiled pupae were eaten to treat apoplexy, aphasy, bronchitis, pneumonia, convulsions, hemorrhages, and frequent urination.<ref name="Mexico" /> The excrement produced by the larvae is also eaten to improve circulation and alleviate the symptoms of cholera (intense vomiting and diarrhea).<ref name="Mexico" /> |
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====Cross-Cultural Constant: Honey bee Products==== |
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] products are used medicinally across Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, despite the fact that the honey bee was not introduced to the Americas until the colonization by Spain and Portugal. They are by far the most common medical insect product both historically and currently.<ref name="Bioprospecting" /> |
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] is the most frequently referenced medical bee material. It can be applied to skin to treat excessive scar tissue, rashes, and burns, <ref name="China"> Feng, Y., Zhao, M., He, Z., Chen, Z., and L. Sun. (2009). Research and utilization of medicinal insects in China. ''Entomological Research, 39:'' 313-316.</ref> and can be applied as a poultice to eyes to treat infection.<ref name="Nyishi" /> It is also consumed for digestive problems and as a general health restorative, and can be heated and consumed to treat head colds, cough, throat infections, laryngitis, tuberculosis, and lung diseases.<ref name="Mexico" /> |
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Additionally, the ], or honey bee venom, can be applied via direct stings to relieve arthritis, rheumatism, polyneuritis, and asthma.<ref name="Mexico" /> ], a resinous, waxy mixture collected by honeybees and used as a hive insulator and sealant, is often consumed by menopausal women because of its high hormone content, and it is said to have antibiotic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties.<ref name="Mexico" /> ] is used to treat anemia, gastrointestinal ulcers, arteriosclerosis, hypo- and hypertension, and inhibition of sexual libido.<ref name="Mexico" /> Finally ], or bee pollen, is eaten as a generally health restorative, and is said to help treat both internal and external infections.<ref name="Mexico" /> All of these honey bee products are regularly produced and sold, especially online and in health food stores, though none are yet approved by the FDA. |
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===Modern Scientific Use of Insects in Medicine=== |
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====Maggot Therapy==== |
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One of the most commonly used insects in medical purposes is the blow fly larvae. The first recorded use of it was during World War II. Military surgeons noticed that wounds which were left untreated for several days and which became infested with maggots, healed better than wounds not infested with the blow fly larvae. It was later discovered that the larvae secreted a chemical called ], which had a curative effect. Allantoin is now being used to treat the infectious bone disease, ]. |
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] is the intentional introduction of live, disinfected fly larvae into non-healing or dead skin and soft tissue wounds of a human or other animal for the purpose of selectively cleaning out only the ] tissue within a wound in order to promote wound healing. It is also used to prevent infection and to speed the healing process. |
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====Apitherapy==== |
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] is the medical use of honeybee products. One of the major ]s in bee venom, called ], is used to treat inflammation in sufferers of ] and ]. Melittin blocks the expression of inflammatory genes, thus reducing swelling and pain. It is administered by direct insect sting, or intramuscular injections |
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====Blister Beetle and Spanish Fly==== |
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], the blister-causing oil found in several families of beetles, was accepted by the ] in 2004 as treatment for warts and other skin problems. It also has historical use by the Greeks and Romans and is used as an ] in some societies. |
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====Ants==== |
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In the Brazilian ], members of the ] language family have been observed using ''Pachycondyla commutata'' ants during female rite-of-passage ceremonies, and prescribing the sting of ''Pseudomyrmex'' spp. for fevers and headaches.<ref>] (2000), "Antiquity of Traditional Ethnobiological Knowledge in Amazonia: a Tupí–Guaraní Family and Time" ''Ethnohistory'' 47(2):399-422.</ref> |
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==See also== |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}}<!--added above categories/infobox footers by script-assisted edit--> |
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==External links== |
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