Cultural aspects of ants, bees and wasps and their products in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Background: The order Hymenoptera has about 117,000 known species of which about 20.000 in the Afrotropical zone. The families covered are ants, bees, and wasps. They belong to the suborder Apocrita, characterized by a constriction between the first and second abdominal segments. The purpose of the study was to make an overview of how ants, bees and wasps and their products such as honey are utilized, perceived, and experienced in daily life across sub-Saharan Africa.Method: Ethno-entomological information on ants, bees and wasps in sub-Saharan Africa was collected by: (1) interviews with more than 300 people from about 120 ethnic groups in 27 countries in the region; (2) library studies in Africa, London, Paris and Leiden.Results : Of the order of the Hymenoptera only queens of the ant Carebara vidua are deliberately eaten. Often unintentionally bee larvae are eaten with honey and sugar ants with sugar. Apart from honey being a food item, it is also widely used to treat numerous medical problems, as a stimulant (for the memory) or as a cosmetic. It is also used in naming or wedding ceremonies. In the Qur’an, the medical value of honey is recognized. Seed stores of ants maybe harvested by humans. In the Sudan bee stings are used to cure arthritis; bee venom having bioactive properties. Wasp nests are used to cure inflammations such as mumps. The properties of certain insects are used to convey these treats to persons it is employed to, such as nasty stinging wasps to make dogs vicious. Some stories seem to make no sense like the snake-trapping ants in Madagascar, but a scientific explanation is provided. The looks of certain insects may inspire people to construct stories or have proverbs such as the very narrow waste of wasps, suggesting sterility. Bee swarms and driver ants are feared all over and believed to be employed (by witchdoctors) to punish. Not all stories of events with bees or ants are similar across sub-Saharan Africa. These insects, being social, are also used to stimulate cohesion between people.Conclusion: Ants, bees and wasps in sub-Saharan Africa maybe feared because of their bites and stings. However, the insects or their products are often employed for medical reasons, honey having numerous applications. They are also many stories and believes in which the characteristics of these insects play a role.

Marimbondos (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) Como Fonte De Alimentação Humana No Brasil: Uma Revisão De Literatura

“…Muitas pessoas, principalmente de países ocidentais, consideram o consumo de insetos como prática ultrapassada, alimentação de pessoas pobres e marginalizadas. Além disso, algumas culturas consideram a maioria dos insetos como animais nocivos, sujos, transmissores de doenças e vistos como pragas (GARINE, 1987;KELLERT, 1993;VANHONACKER et al, 2013), o que afeta negativamente a prática da entomofagia. Entretanto, os benefícios ecológicos e nutricionais do uso dos insetos na alimentação são promissores, por isso a entomofagia deve ser considerada como alternativa econômica e socioambiental.…”

Pharmacological potential of ants and their symbionts – a review

“…Traditional healers consider its regular intake as an effective therapy to prevent rheumatism in old ages (Oudhia, 2002). In African ethnomedicine the other extant species of this genus, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille), has been reported for its anti‐asthmatic, anti‐rheumatism, and aphrodisiac properties (van Huis, 2021). Similarly, Polyrhachis lamellidens Smith, a commonly found ant in China, is also widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis (Jiang et al, 2008).…”

Revisiting the hymenopteran diploid male vortex: a review of avoidance mechanisms and incidence

“…Potentially more than a million species of bees, ants, wasps, and sawflies comprise the Hymenoptera (Forbes et al, 2018), collectively representing enormous ecological and economic importance (Latty & Dakos, 2019). For instance, pollinators are crucial for the health of natural environments and for human crop production (Quezada‐Euán et al, 2018; Vrabcová & Hájek, 2020; van Huis, 2021) and many hymenopteran parasitoids are used as biocontrol agents, exceeding the number of species used and market share value of all other insect orders combined (van Lenteren et al, 2018; Leung et al, 2020). Across this incredible diversity is the universal trait of haplodiploid sex determination.…”