Table 6.
Inventory of Therapeutic insects
| Scientific Name | English name | Vernacular Name (Galo = G; Nyishi = N) | Part used | Indication | Prescription | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apis cerana, A. florae, A. mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) | Honey bee | Taer, Tang, Unya, Aati (G) Ngunya, Taer, Tangu (N) | Honey, comb Comb/wax | Honey: coughs, fevers, stomach pains, stomach cleanser. Skin irritations/disease | One spoon 2-3 times per day till completely cured Comb/wax Externally rubbed on skin irritation | Excessive use of honey causes adverse effect. |
| Polistes sp. Vespa orientalis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) | Potter wasp | Bere, Taga/Gaying (G) | Whole insect, wings are removed | Coughs & colds, stomach disorders | Insects are directly allowed to bite or sting person suffering from cough & cold | Used in metallurgical process too (some respondents only). |
| Bothroponera rufipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) | Black ant | Yapek gane (G) Torup (N) | Whole body | 1. Scabies, toothache; high blood pressure, boils, wounds malaria, dysentery, chest pain in humans 2. Foot and mouth disease of mithun cattle (N) 3. Maggots/worm infections of cattle | 1. Ants are crushed into paste and applied on effected parts for scabies, wounds and boils. Ground-up ants are mixed with water and gurgled for some time for toothache. Intake of 1-2 ant per day reduces blood pressure. Intake of crushed ant along with other edibles during morning hour good for malaria. 2. 1-2 ants crushed into powder and mixed into any kind of fodder and fed one to two times a day depending upon the persistence of the disease. 3. Dried ants are mixed with warm water to wash the infected portion after removing the maggots from the wounds. | If fed in larger quantity, cattle becomes weak and inactive. |
| Tetraponeraa rufonigra (Hymeoptera: Formicidae) | Iron ant | Rukdam (G), Ruder (N) | Whole body | Foot and mouth disease of mithun cattle (N) | Fed 1-3 times per day according to persistence of disease. 1-2 ants crushed into powder and mix into any kind of fodder. | If fed in larger quantity cattle becomes weak and inactive. The effect of this species is much less than that of black ant. |
| Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymeoptera: Formicidae) | Red tree ant or weaver ant | Babuk (G, N) | Whole body | Stomachache and dysentry | One full colony is fried without oil; Smoked dried, mixed with salt and taken as small amount once a day till recovered. | _ |
| Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymeoptera: Formicidae) | Red tree ant or weaver ant | Babuk aan (N) Tonge(G) | Whole body (N) Larvae (G) | Stomach pain, Fever | 1 or 2 queen ants boiled and swallowed. Larvae are taken raw or boiled to lessen fever. | _ |
| Ephemera danica | Mayfly | Nymph | Stomach disturbance | Roasted or boiled nymphs are consumed as food | ||
| Cantharid sp. (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) | Beetle | Aputita (G) | Whole body | Skin allergy | -- | _ |
| Lepidiota sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaediae) | Beetle | Aputita, Apu nine (G) | Whole body | Skin allergy | -- | _ |
| Catharsius sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) | Beetle | Apu hanik (G) | Body cover is removed | Diarrhoea | Wet paste is made and given during acute diarrhoea | _ |
| Oplatocera sp. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) | Longhorn beetle | Sikse regre (N) | _ | _ | _ | It may cause hair loss in adults |
| Chondracris rosea (Orthoptera: Acrididae) | Grasshopper | Mirbo (G) Takam kamrak (N) | _ | _ | _ | It shows allergic reaction in some people |
| Diabolocantops innotabilis (Orthoptera : Acrididae) | Grasshopper | Ili konkam (G) | _ | _ | _ | Can cause allergy and initiate hair loss in some people |
| Schistocera sp. (Orthoptera: Acrididae) | Grasshopper | Komak joba (G) | _ | _ | _ | Femur is most allergic part |
| Brachytrypes sp. (probably Tarbinskiellus sp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) | Cricket | Yarup (G) | _ | _ | _ | Used as bait to catch fowl, bird, fishes etc. |
| Several species of pentatomid bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) | Pentatomid stink bugs | Rishu punyo (G) | _ | _ | _ | Hallucinogenic, may cause allergies and some spp. considered neurotoxic |
| Cicada | _ | _ | _ | Not to be touched or killed by pregnant women. Thought to affect developing baby (baby starts crying in cicadal voice), but ok if both husband and wife touch or kill the insect together at the same time | ||
| Tibicen pruinosus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) (American species, but given as such by Zool Survey of India, Kolkata) | Cicada | Laptung bargi (N) | _ | _ | _ | Thought to stop menstrual cycle when consumed |
| (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) | Pentatomid bug | Rishu (N) | _ | _ | _ | Burning sensation occurs in body |