Entomotherapy: The Use of Medicinal Insects

Insects are not only important as pollinators; some species also serve as sources of food and medicine.

Medicinal insects and medicinal liquor collected in the southeast Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Image source: Figure 3 of this research article. “A. Antlion. B. Pycnoscelus surinamensis. C. The larva of Periplaneta australasiae. D. The larva of Periplaneta americana. E. The medicinal liquor of Vespa bicolor. F. The medicinal liquor of Vespa ducalis. G. The medicinal liquor of Vespa affinis. H. The medicinal liquor of Xylocopa dissimilis.”

When we think about the foods our ancestors once ate, visions of big game hunting may come to mind. However, much smaller creatures—insects—likely played a important role as a food source, especially in the tropics. Ever since my first trip to the Amazon 25 years ago, I have been interested in edible insects as an understudied component of health and nutrition. In the Peruvian Amazon, I learned from local children how to eat ants and where to find the most succulent palm beetle larvae for a meal. This knowledge of wild foods is commonly shared among children and adults, alike.

Nutritional value of edible insects

Edible insects are highly nutritious, providing essential amino acids, fatty acids, and high-quality protein, which make them an excellent alternative protein source. Traditionally, they have been a vital part of the diet in many cultures, particularly in economically developing countries, although their popularity has waned due to westernization. Insect farming is environmentally friendly, requiring less land and water and emitting fewer greenhouse gases compared to conventional meat production. Insects also have higher feed conversion efficiencies, transforming low-value organic by-products into high-quality proteins. Some insects contain bioactive substances that enhance animal immunity, potentially reducing the need for antibiotics in meat production. The consumption of edible insects is called entomophagy.

Did you know? With approximately 2,111 documented edible insect species worldwide, they hold significant potential for contributing to food sustainability and security.

Medicinal value of insects

But what about insects in medicine? Which types of insects are used today and for which medical conditions?

Insects also play critical roles in traditional medicine. Approximately 70-80% of the world’s rural population relies on traditional medicine for primary healthcare, including various entomo-therapeutic practices.

Here are some notable applications:

• Crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers: Used for throat and ear illnesses.

• Ants: Used to treat gastrointestinal ailments, severe colds, pain, arthritis, gynecological disorders, mumps, asthma, insect stings and bites, dizziness, impotence, rheumatism, chickenpox, and bronchitis.

• Honey: Used to treat burns, skin disorders, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular illnesses, and to promote wound healing.

• Beetles: Used for kidney pain, rheumatism, gout, ear and toothaches, snake and dog bites, and urinary problems.

• Vespine wasps: Claimed to possess anticancer properties and compounds that stimulate the heart and kidneys.

The use of insects or their byproducts as medicine is called entomotherapy.

Did you know? To date, approximately 1,000 insect species with therapeutic value have been reported worldwide, though the actual number is likely higher.

A case study in China

I came across a recent research study conducted in a mountainous part of southern China that provided some interesting insights:

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Luo, H., Dai, C. & Feng, P. Entomophagy and entomo-therapeutic practices in a mountainous territory in southeast Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 20, 61 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00700-0

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Researchers interviewed 216 local people aged 16 to 88 in 10 villages in a mountainous territory in southeast Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. They found that 16 edible and nine medicinal species of insects are used in the communities, with four species of wasps used as both medicine and food. See the image at the top of this post for photos of some of these medicinal species.

Antlions and cockroaches, including species like Pycnoscelus surinamensis, Periplaneta australasiae, and P. americana, are commonly used to treat common cold symptoms in infants. These insects are readily found in rural areas, are captured from woodsheds and in the home. They are disinfected in boiling water, pounded, mixed with warm water, and then drunk as an elixir. Preparations include using approximately 10 antlions, 1-2 cockroaches, or a mixture of 5 antlions and 1-2 cockroaches.

Medicinal liquors made from wasps like Vespa bicolor, V. ducalis, V. affinis, V. basalis, and Xylocopa dissimilis are used to treat rheumatism. Collectors wear protective clothing to catch adult wasps, sometimes using nets at apiaries. X. dissimilis is found in dry bamboo and captured by blocking their holes with net bags. These insects are then placed in alcohol, sometimes after freezing or scalding. The infused alcohol, ready after a month, is consumed in small amounts (around 15 ml per day) to treat rheumatic pain, though overconsumption is reported to lead to side effects like toothaches and sore throat.

The Takeaway

While there are a number of field studies that have documented the traditional uses of insects for food and medicine, the chemical and pharmacological analysis of these species is still largely lacking. Insects could represent an important source of new natural molecules to combat various diseases and certainly merit further study.

Yours in health, Dr. Q

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Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as professor and herbarium curator at Emory University School of Medicine, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription or donation to her lab research.

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