Ethnoentomological research focuses on the wealth of knowledge about insects used by indigenous communities. Here, we examine the medicinal use of insects, with a particular focus on Rhynchophorus palmarum, also known as suri, by indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon. Between January 2014 and November 2015, a semi-structured survey was conducted in six communities belonging to Kukama-kukamiria, Tikuna, and Awajum ethnic groups. Each participant answered three key questions: i) what insects do you use to treat your diseases; ii) what diseases do you treat; and iii) how do you treat each disease? A total of 63 people were interviewed. Over half of the interviewees from the three ethnic groups mentioned using the larva of the R. palmarum for medicinal purposes. The oil of the larva is used to treat more than ten diseases, particularly respiratory illnesses. Chemical analysis of the larvae indicates the presence of linoleic and linolenic acids, which confer antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

中文翻译：

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秘鲁亚马逊河地区传统医学中使用的棕榈鼻

民族学研究的重点是土著社区使用的有关昆虫的丰富知识。在这里，我们研究了昆虫的药用用途，特别侧重于秘鲁亚马逊河地区土著人民的棕榈鼻Rhynchophorus palmarum（也称为suri）。在2014年1月至2015年11月之间，对属于库卡玛-库卡米里亚，提库纳和阿瓦朱姆族群的六个社区进行了半结构化调查。每个参与者回答了三个关键问题：i）您使用哪种昆虫来治疗疾病；ii）您要治疗哪些疾病？iii）您如何治疗每种疾病？总共采访了63人。来自三个族裔的受访者中有一半以上提到将棕榈palm的幼虫用于医疗目的。幼虫油用于治疗十多种疾病，特别是呼吸系统疾病。幼虫的化学分析表明存在亚油酸和亚麻酸，它们具有抗菌和消炎作用。