van Huis Arnold
Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Insects. 2021 Apr 20;12(4):368. doi: 10.3390/insects12040368.
An overview is given of how beetles are utilised, perceived, and experienced in daily life across sub-Saharan Africa. More than 300 people from 27 countries were interviewed and the results were compared with literature findings. Both the adults and larvae of many beetle species are eaten, mainly from the families Curculionidae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Dytiscidae and Scarabaeidae. Some beetle species are used for medicinal purposes. The use of breast-shaped water beetles by adolescent girls to stimulate breast growth could be due to superstition or the effect of the defensive secretion containing steroid hormones. Blister beetles contain cantharidin, which influences the urinary tract, and is therefore used as an aphrodisiac and for treating venereal disease. Throughout Africa children play with beetles by letting them fly on a string. In the Sahel, the hard work of dung beetles is an inspiration for stories. Fireflies are generally associated with ghosts and witches, likely because the glowing of the beetles is interpreted as magical. Many beetle groups are brightly and attractively coloured and are therefore used in ceremonies and commerce. This type of indigenous knowledge, revealed in stories provided by older people, is rapidly disappearing due to urbanisation.
本文概述了撒哈拉以南非洲地区人们在日常生活中如何利用、感知和体验甲虫。研究人员采访了来自27个国家的300多人，并将结果与文献研究结果进行了比较。许多甲虫种类的成虫和幼虫都可食用，主要来自象甲科、吉丁甲科、天牛科、龙虱科和金龟科。一些甲虫种类还被用于药用。青春期女孩使用乳房形状的水甲虫来促进乳房发育，可能是出于迷信，也可能是因为其防御性分泌物中含有类固醇激素。斑蝥含有斑蝥素，会影响泌尿系统，因此被用作壮阳药和治疗性病。在整个非洲，孩子们会让甲虫在绳子上飞着玩。在萨赫勒地区，蜣螂的辛勤劳作成为了故事的灵感来源。萤火虫通常与鬼魂和女巫联系在一起，可能是因为甲虫发光被视为具有魔力。许多甲虫种类颜色鲜艳、引人注目，因此被用于仪式和商业活动。这种由年长者讲述的故事中所揭示的本土知识，正由于城市化而迅速消失。
