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Traditional Method of Hunting Edible Termite, Odontotermes Formosanus Shiraki by the Irulars of Gingee Hills, South India

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Traditional Method of Hunting Edible Termite, Odontotermes Formosanus Shiraki by the Irulars of Gingee Hills, South India Traditional method of hunting edible termite, Odontotermes formosanus Shiraki by the Irulars of Gingee hills, South India Muruganandam S, Ravikumar S, Dhamotharan R and Ayyanar M Databases and Inventories ethnic people for value addition, which in turn improve their livelihood. Also, it is essential to study Abstract the plants employed in termite hunting for their Background: Insects, especially termites are wound healing potential. considered as one of the nutritious foods widely used by various ethnic communities throughout the Key words: Eastern Ghats; Gingee hills; Irulars; world. Present study was undertaken among rural Odontotermes formosanus; Termites people in Gingee hills of Eastern Ghats, India to know about traditional hunting method for edible Correspondence termites (Odontotermes formosanus Shiraki) practiced by them to fulfill their protein requirement Muruganandam S and as a source of revenue. Ravikumar S Dhamotharan R Methods: Traditional method of hunting edible termites by Irulars of Periyamalai was observed for Department of Plant Biology and Plant a couple of years. Preparation of herbal mixture, Biotechnology, Presidency College (Autonomous), Chennai - 600 005, India trapping method and other information were documented through direct observation in the field Ayyanar M* and by interviewing the individuals involved in Department of Botany and Microbiology, A.V.V.M. termite hunting. Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous), Poondi - 613 503, Thanjavur, India Results: A total of 11 plant species were found to be used in termite hunting process and to treat *Corresponding author: [email protected] diseases or allergies occurred (if any) after Ethnobotany Research & Applications consumption of termites. Powdered roots of 18:10 (2019) Aristolochia indica L., seeds of Canavalia cathartica Thouars and leaves of Glycosmis mauritiana (Lam.) Tanaka, are used to harvest termites from their Background mounds and to treat poisonous bites. Acalypha Insects play a major role in the lives of human fruticosa Forssk., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link., beings, as pests and disease transmitting vectors Madhuca longifolia (J. Koenig ex L.) J.F. Macbr. (Chakravorty 2014). However, not all insects are Pavetta indica L. and Premna tomentosa Willd. are pests or vectors and majority are harmless and used by Irulars in treating skin allergic conditions beneficial. Significance of insects as food and after consuming termites. medicine is not surprising, since this group has highest number of species, in nature (Figueiredo et Conclusions: Traditional method of hunting edible al. 2015). Interest in use of insects as food has termites with medicinal plants shows the rich accelerated greatly in recent years due to its traditional knowledge of the Irulars. There should be nutritional and environmental advantages over initiatives to identify and quantify the nutritional and conventional sources of protein from other sources nutraceutical value of termite species used by (Tan et al. 2017). Published: 15 June 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.10.1-12 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2 Insects are reported to be readily available source economic and social importance. Odontotermes is of protein, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals; one of the commonly used edible termite genera in they are good sources of essential amino acids and traditional medicine and are available abundantly polyunsaturated fatty acids (Zielinska et al. 2015). during the rainy season. Insect proteins hold nutritional advantageous in terms of total protein content and essential amino Indian subcontinent has diverse physical and acid profiles over plant proteins obtained from climatic features offering favourable conditions to various cereals, legumes, beans, lentils, soybean, support rich and varied termite fauna with about etc. (Sun-Waterhouse et al. 2016). 300 species (Kumari et al. 2009). The winged termites (Eesal in Tamil) are collected and sold in Practice of using insects as a part of human diet is market by tribal people, ‘Irumbas’ of Tamil Nadu and referred as entomophagy which plays an important in some villages of nearby state Karnataka. The role nutritional security in Africa, Asia and Latin queen termite is collected by underprivileged America (Meyer-Rochow 2010). Entomophagy is people and fed as tonic for tweak children. commonly influenced by various cultural and Traditionally, local people consume the fried religious practices. There are many studies about termites along with pulses, spices and salt to the nutritive value of edible insects especially which enhance taste in some south Indian villages (Rajan are harvested in nature. It is estimated that over 1987). 2000 species of insects are consumed by over two million people all over the World especially in Irulars in Pakkamalai reserve forest of Eastern several countries across Asia, Africa and America Ghats have own traditional culture and beliefs. Their (van Huis et al. 2013; Chakravorty et al. 2016). chief source of livelihood is rice and feast with Worldwide, most commonly consumed insects are winged white ants (termites) which they hunt at the beetles (31%), caterpillars (18%), bees, wasps and time of their seasonal outbreak. Some Irulars are ants (14%), grasshoppers, locusts and crickets herbalists. They have sound knowledge on folk (13%), cicadas, leafhoppers, plant hoppers, scale medicinal practices especially in treating snakebite insects and true bugs (10%), termites (3%), and insect stings (Thurston 2013). Most of the dragonflies (3%), flies (2%), and other insects (5%) herbalist Irulars keep their folk knowledge within (Zielinska et al. 2015). themselves and are not interested in disclosing it to fellow community members (Sureshkumar et al. Termites are cosmopolitan in distribution and are 2017; Silambarasan et al. 2017). So, it is necessary known to build termite mounds. Termite mounds are to document folk knowledge held by present day conspicuous features in tropical soils which differ generation before such knowledge vanishes. from their parent soils in physical, chemical and biological properties. Hence, termites are often Ethnobiological studies describing the use of referred as major bioturbators, soil engineers or termites (food and medicine) for human and even master builders (Shanbhag et al. 2017). livestock are mostly from American and African Termites are one of the most influential soil-dwelling countries. Existence of rich diversity of insects ecosystem engineers, whose biogenic structures (including termites) with edible potential is recorded modify the availability of resources for other in most of the Asian countries like India and China organisms. During their feeding and nesting but there is a lacuna in availability of published activities in mounds, they improve soil aeration, reports about the utility of termites except a few enhance absorption and storage of water, facilitate studies. In view of this, the present study has been carbon fluxes and storage (Kaiser et al. 2017). At undertaken to explore folk knowledge about the same time, several termite species cause traditional hunting method for edible termites by extensive damage to timbers, buildings, crops and Irulars in Gingee hills of southern Eastern Ghats, forest trees (Akhtar & Shahid 1988) and also have a India. We document information on the medicinal major role in decomposition of organic matter. plant extracts used for hunting edible termites and plant extracts used to treat skin allergies (if any) Several species of termites are commonly used in arising after termite consumption. traditional medicine to treat various diseases like influenza, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, Materials and Methods sinusitis, tonsillitis and hoarseness (Figueiredo et al. 2015). They also act as a vital source of food in Study Area improving human diet, especially who suffer from The study area Periyamalai is situated in malnutrition due to a deficit of protein, as they Pakkamalai reserve forest of Gingee hills (Eastern considered as nonconventional food with great Published: 15 June 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.10.1-12 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 3 Ghats) in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India, school drop-outs due to poverty and work as located between 12° 10'N and 79°.17'E (Fig.1). The labourers. area receives maximum rain fall during northeast monsoon from September to December every year. The collected plant species were identified The hill is located at a distance of 160 km south- taxonomically using The Flora of Presidency of west from the state capital Chennai. Villupuram Madras (Gamble 1935) and The Flora of Tamilnadu district is bounded by Bay of Bengal and union Carnatic (Matthew 1983). The plant specimens territory of Puducherry in east; Kanchipuram and were preserved and deposited in the herbarium of Tiruvanamalai districts in north; Cuddalore district in Department of Plant Biology & Plant Biotechnology, south; Dharmapuri and Salem districts in west. Presidency College, Chennai for future reference. Scientific names of identified species were Geographically, Villupuram district appears to be confirmed with the standard taxonomic database sloping towards south-east and consists of ‘Plant List’ (www.theplantlist.org). Termite species sedimentary rocks. Pennaiaru, Gadilam, Gomukhi, consumed by Irulars was identified by Dr. Gabriel Malattaru and Sankaraparani are the rivers flow Paulraj, Scientist, Entomology Research Institute, through the district. Coastal length of this district
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