Taxonomic identity of "hallucinogenic" harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus) confirmed

12 Pages·2001·6.9 MB·English

by  Kevin P Groark

—
Winter
Ethnobiolo
"HALLUCINOGENIC"
OF
TAXONOMIC IDENTITY
CONFIRMED
ANT
HARVESTER (Pogonomyrmex
californicus)
GROARK
KEVIN
P.
Calif
University
Anthropology, of
if
CA
90024
Los Angeles,
ABSTRACT life
poorly-documented tradi-
but
was an important
ends
and therapeutic
visionary
he
confirmation of
report, a
brief
In this
California.
south-central
tion in native
and
the
presented,
California
used is
red ant species in
taxonomic identity of the
ethnographic ac-
with additional
supplemented
use
descriptive record of its is
importance
particular
of
species
is
of this
counts. This taxonomic identification
case of the
well-documented
only
provides the
as visionary red ant ingestion
agent.
an hallucinogenic
widespread use of an insect as
lift
RESUMEN
mucha impor-
de
una tradicion
fue
terapeuticos,
nkus) con alucinogenos y
fines
on
e
bste
de California,
centro-sur
mal documentada en sur y
tancia pero el
de su
description
especie la
de dicha y
taxonomica
confirma identidad
articulo
la
taxo-
Esta identification
adicionales.
uso se hace a traves de datos etnograficos
debi-
etnograf.co
ejemplo
unico
que
es
nomica de puesto el
es especial interes,
un msecto.
de
derivado
alucinogeno
un
damente documentado de agente
RESUME. w.^~ ^
l ues luuiuua Hnm
ixcouivii:. utilisation iit ~j-.- „
„
d,xu
pe01u1
une
f^.t.on
«ait
therapeutiques
tern) a des desseins religieux et ^
»;<*f»™«£**"£
ton
au
groupes
de plusieurs
mentee mais importante dans vie
la M^»"
on
expose
sud de Dans brel
CaHfornie. ce
la
>«££%
taxononuque de fourmi e, a
^identification la
ce
donnees
:hnograph
sujet est considerable car
il s'
d'un insecte.
que provient
documente
d'un agent halluncinatoire
INTRODUCTION
journal
This
-
-~
Harve^ster
-.
Hallucinogenic
the Use «tegp«
and of
"Ritual Therapeutic
title,
_
In
m
nomy (Groark 1996).
rmex) California"
Native South-Central
traaiuon ui
documented,
., _.j uu.m^ ^«r,rlv
- v~~ v
iI , overvi. ew ot a wiaespredu, K Cr IJ™
i;fr»mian In
a
southern
among
native
v
ingestion
urative red ant
a -----
»ans. Build Key eiunu.u^^x. „
H well as a
F rrrngttoonn (as
ohn ri
(
and
linguist
Smithsonian
nologist
uc
general
the
reconstructed
hed
sources),
1 ongms.
probable
and
distribution
"gesuun
outlinZtts cultural
rraaitior
as
and tox.cology,
™"L
The venom bioactivity
m"
paper of ant
closed with
GROARK
No.
134 Vol. 21, 2
well as preliminary suggestions concerning likely biochemical bases for the psy-
choactive effects reported in the ethnographic record.
my
come
Recently, another early account written by Harrington has to
J.P.
attention. In addition to supplementing our understanding of ritual ant use with
additional ethnographic details from the Luiseno-Juaneno Indians, Harrington
also provides us with a precise taxonomic identity for the red ant species used
native southern California. This "new'' account particularly significant in
in is its
confirmation of the speculative taxonomic identification offered in Groark (1996).
Fogonomyrmex specimens by Harrington has been
In addition, a set of collected
located in the ant collection of the Smithsonian Institution, further increasing the
certainty of the identification.
summary
In the present report, provide a brief of the major features and
I
and by and
distribution of ritual therapeutic red ant use, followed a presentation
discussion of the aforementioned Harrington account (which currently acces-
is
sible only in a very rare edition), as well as a description of the newly located
specimens. The paper with taxonom-
closes a discussion of the significance of this
confirmation for future toxicological studies of Fogonomyrmex species and their
ic
utilization in visionary contexts. This identification of particular importance, as
is
provides the only well-documented case of the widespread use of an insect as
it
an
hallucinogenic agent.
OVERVIEW CULTURAL
OF
DISTRIBUTION
i shamanic
was most among
highly developed the indigenous groups of south-central Cali-
know
hich are
swallowed and
alive unmasticated, massive exceeding 400
in quantities (often
unconsciousness
dream
which
animals
—
men
by young dream
after quite apart from any might
specific they confer,
skills
helpers (and the power they embodied) were important leading a
critically in
and prosperous men who shamans
safe, healthy, In addition, aspired be
life. to
(more
or the potently hallucinogenic toloache
Jimsonweed
acquired multiple or specialize*
y
shamanic upon them. (Se
skills
and
e administration resull
ritual
ing
The
among
the Shoshonean groups occupying edge south-
the southeastern of the
central region California— Kitanemuk
of the (Harrington 1986b:rl.98, frs.449-450),
Kawaiisu (Zigmond
1977:62, 1986:405), Tiibatulabal (Voegelin 1938:5, 46, 67-68),
and
the various Hokan-speaking Chumash Chu-
groups, particularly the Interior
mash
(Harrington
the
1986b:rl.98, frs.608-609, 648-652). In the Central Valley to
some
north, of the neighboring Southern Valley Yokuts (particularly the Yawel-
ETHNOBIOLOGY 135
JOURNAL OF
2001
Winter
(Wikchamni
mi
shamanic
m
Miwok
(g
cK4ly ant ingestion
visionary
core of the
the
groups constitute
these
^ve
devel-
appears to
practice
the
on reported distribution,
Based the
tradition.
Neva*
re
southern Sierra
groups of the
—
among Shoshonean-speaking
oped the ,
,
v
iok-
various
.u ^ *«u-~ ,A^cf thpn on to the£*W*
?. me T >C-ihumash 4.^
., . ^iiunia^i
.
spreading interior
to
gion, , wor^iin^lv
San Joaquin Valley.
end the
of
southern
groups occupying the
utsan
omp
He lex
Toloache-Dream
p
with the
coextensive
largely
distribution
this is ^
he
lane
iupema tura
with the
s
contact
individual
an religion stressing
egalitarian
ingestion
through the
mediated
dream (usually
more helpers
one
acquisition of or
of Datura wrightii Regel).
«?
red
ad
OM.-A also
California
southern
number groups in ^J^™ *
ftp- Ant of
.
well) in
as
internally
on occasion,
(and
the ants externally
Tate
among
the
ub.quitous
were
These ordeals
ceremonies.
bovs' initiation
California
*-*•«
proto-nistoi ie
the
in
lacked
"ordeals"
that these
ichn
such
formed
component
that
from
™
In
wuu.11.5v
without
pain
To make them hardy and endure
™"£*g
was considered
to corporeal suffering
J«* having
^
would down on the hill *e
graceful) they
lie
stomach
"~
the
region "of T\
nanaruis them placed iinn ttnhee <egiu..
ot „
quantities,
. e
them in llaarrg
swallowed
they
Lastly, to ensure a full dose, 1
alive! [Reid 1968
(1852): 36].
™
uk
^
Kitane
Harrington's
In a comment, one ?^ty
revealing of
thesouth-
use
ants
red y
vision-inducing
these ants as being identical to the *™>^-
^
1986a
(Harrington
central groups described above were
ordeals
among
1943:440)
Miwok (Aginsky
»"
Northern
Among group.,
ivionache these
(Driver 1937:99). the
into
we integrated
groups that
mal among
the ^
initiatory function found from
mam
ition
to
served
Chingichngish practice
the
Instead,
religion.
youth
to adulthood. ^ man-
have
to
reoorted
not
^
are
visions p
although
It is interesting to note that, appears t0
these
common during
tested, was
loss of consciousness essen-
nsk red
e
^""T^u. i
have
been
an Profound loss was
explicit goal. and
region,
the
which
//
understood
of
to represent a sort
GROARK
No.
Vol. 2
136 21,
"killed" by the supernatural agents which he wished to contact. Despite the lack
was
of associated visions, the goal of the ant ordeal largely identical to that of
—
and and
visionary ant ingestion augmentation of individual strength fortitude,
the establishment of a personal connection with supernatural power. Both vision-
ary ingestion and the ant ordeal of boys' initiation ceremonies represent the in-
—
power which
dividual's personal contact with supernatural a connection he
first
could then draw on in daily for vigorous health, luck in hunting or gambling,
life
or for more esoteric purposes (see Groark [1996: 9-10, 16-17] for additional de-
tails).
—
Therapeutic Uses. In addition to the esoteric uses outlined above, the ants played
an important role in both curative and preventative medicine, treating a diverse
common
inventory of ailments, including: paralysis, gastrointestinal ailments, se-
and
vere colds, pain, arthritis, gynecological disorders (particularly those occa-
sioned by childbirth). Ethnohistoric accounts indicate that initiatory and thera-
some
peutic ant ingestion persisted through the Mission Period (in cases, surviv-
ing until at least the mid-1 850's), but these practices appear to have been aban-
doned
by the turn of the century (see Groark 1996: 11-16 for a detailed
discussion).
A NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE
INDIGENOUS
A
brief survey of indigenous nomenclature homogeneity
reveals striking
name
among Cup
the applied to this ant Takic-speakers of both the Serran and
The
branches. ant used in these ceremonies was referred to bv the Kitanemuk
name
aanat
as
M
red ant
Juaneno term
name
ber 1925:672). It should be noted that this was not a generic term for "red
medicinal
names
therapeutic contexts, with other local species being referred to by distinct
Anderton
names the
(Walker
1993), while various Yokutsan speakers of the Tule-Kaweah dialects (Yawdanchi,
Wikchamni,
Gawia, Bokninwad,
Yokod), k'awk'aw, "cra-
referred to these ants as
zy
ants/' possibly '
in reference (Harrington
to their intoxicating potential
rl.94, fr.382).
WAS POGONOMYRMEX
THE
USED CALIFORNIA?
SPECIES IN
many
name
the ant species in question. As a result, was forced to assume a somewhat
I
speculative tone in the previously published (Groark Based on an
article 1996).
analysis of the biological and behavioral provided ethnographic
details in the
most
acknowledged
problems
the inherent
i
ETHNOBIOLOGY
JOURNAL OF 137
2001
Winter
o
taxonomic status
The
k
ethno
nnrprtain. All
em
The uniformly
accounts
mounded
build small
they
specimens
ethno
remain
must
therefore
that a Pogo-
support the assertion
strongly
and toxicological literature
ic
ethnographic
the
was indeed the red ant referred to in
nomyrmex
species
and Great Basin,
the
California
Of the ant genera present in
accounts.
all
painful
exceptionally
distinguished by the large size,
Pogonomyrrnex
is
venom
amic
1996:3]
pres
species
Pogonomyrrnex
various
Based on the ecological distribution of the
seemed
ent in California,
it
P
species,
calif
&«-~
ugni
accounts in »*
ethnographic
examine
proceeded ™w the
to
underpmnin
i^~a~~,
pharmacological
a ;~ .ccpqq nnssible
fr.
and therapeutic effects
for the reported visionary
While
possess
^5^v
vveennoomm ~-
icnuy toxic ccoonnttaaiinniinngg a iiuuil/u
v*.
*
,
i
.
previously
complex alkaloids
well as
ing: kinins, peptides, and neurotoxins, as
venom
con-
these
quantities,
known In large
only from higher plant taxa.
certain
em
vous sys trig-
ner
mammalian central
on
stituents are capable of acting the
highly altered
includes
that
reactions
gering a wide range psychophysiological
of
ethnographically.
metabolic resembling those reported
states
shown
been ™to
have
Pogonomyrrnex
genus
In addition. Harvester ants of the
venom nas tne rug<
Their
venom recorded to date—.
than the
more
toxic
— mm times
kn.owvwvini mmaammalian letnanry or tiny cw u u v '" •-it is 5 ^ ^^.^
«-'j-'
rartnrn
,
^
more
venom toxic
times
of the Oriental hornet, and 8 to 10
data for
»u._ m,o. d-„^ venom lethality I.
(Srhm^,. «~i u «- „™,,hlished
(Schmidt and Blum Jx
determined
Schmidt,
califi I
range
within the
wweerree clearly
Indians ci
California
approximately 3!
resenting
£™
wu«*
pee
(Se
an
individual with body weighhtf ro»ff 110000 llbb.. ((4455..55 kkgg)).,
a
LD„ «lcuiano
complete
and
for a venom ;.
full discussion toxicology
of
uncer
by the
weakened
com
T^~J£
«
n ^
was therefore
ta inty
of the taxonomic the ant.
identity of I
ote
R^
ambigu.ty-a
come
across key which resolved this «-"""**^
a reference
_
r
W
the
John R of
annotation
Harrington 1933
in his
Indians
Luiseno-Juaneno
onimo the
account of
Boscana's Mission Period
classic
°f
Southern
California
*^*^JZ!^?£2
>" this extensive Harrington clearly
note,
.
« ethnoera
ogonoinyrmex
i califi (the
individuals
ba Luiseno-Juaneno
Sed On mrr,
hie ing
f;^i
GROARK
138 Vol. 21, No. 2
Due
bulk of which was carried out intermittently between 1919 and 1933). to the
rarity of these accounts, will reproduce two variant versions of Boscana's original
I
text as well as Harrington's annotation in full.
—
The "Neie" Accounts: Tuv Versions and an Annotation. The author of these accounts,
who among
Geronimo was predominantly
Boscana, a Franciscan lived the
friar
Luiseno-Juaneno amalgamation of Indians at Mission San Juan Capistrano from
May
1814 to January 1826. While there, he assiduously recorded all details of life
—
men
in the pre-mission period with the help of three Luiseno-Juaneno two of
whom
were local chiefs, and the other a shaman. The resulting account, properly
known
was probably compiled around and
as the Rclacidn Historica, 1822,
first
remains one and most
of the earliest detailed descriptions of aboriginal in
life
southern 2
native California.
In several brief passages Boscana mentions the therapeutic use of large red
ants by the local Indians when they were "in heathen The ants
their state."
still
were
applied externally in the treatment of unspecified "pains":
most and commonest when
the frequent
practice, especially in pain,
. .
.
was whip
to the place where the pain was with and put them
nettles, to
on
right the place of the pain, and likewise ants, and these especially
latter
manner
49]
most
Boscana's extensive description relates to the "ant ordeal" that formed the
conclusion of the boys' initiation ceremony into the Chingichngish religion of the
and
Gabrielino, Luiseno, Juaneno boys were
Indians. All subjected to this ordeal,
which was performed during
early adolescence in order to "harden" the youths,
to provide luck and skill in hunting, and to ensure a long Robinson's 1846
life.
translation of the Relacion Historica describes in the following terms:
it
undergo
men, and
be admitted
to
emony
of the potense [ritual initiatory branding with Artemisia vulgaris
they were whipped with and
L.J, nettles covered with ants that they
might become
robust. This was always performed summer,
infliction
in
during the months of and August when was most
July the nettle in
its
They
fiery state. gathered small bunches which and
they fastened together
the poor deluded Indian was chastised by blows with them
inflicting
upon
naked
his limbs until he was unable to walk. He was then carried
to the nest of the nearest and most down
furious species of ants, and laid
among
them, while some
of his friends, with kept annoying the
sticks,
make
insects to them more What
un-
still violent. torments did they not
What
What
dergo!
pain! power
hellish inflictions! Yet gave them
their faith
to endure all without a murmur, and they remained dead. Having
as
if
undergone
these dreadful
ordeals, they were
considered as invulnerable,
and
believed arrows
that the of their enemies could no longer harm them.
[Robinson reproduced and
1846; annotated Harrington
in 1933: 47]
A
slightly different account
of event found
this is in Harrington's translation
J.P.
of the "Cessac manuscript"
of the which
Relacion, reads as follows:
JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
139
2001
Winter
cerem
on and another one
they placed the patient a nest of fierce ants,
nettles,
make
them uv them
to
from
what he must
condition
in
hich
And was seemed dead,
cause so great their patience, that they like
fever.
movement. These
some
some comp
ith
r
from time
that
enemies
two
annotation to the of these
first
own
from ethno
his
among
research the Luiseno and
Ji
were
ceremony
The ants used in the ant stinging of the boys' [called]
antum, Pogomvm/rmex
califi
medicinal ant of these people.
ing Ant. This a good-sized red ant, the
is
ground,
making large nests in the
throughout
It is plentiful the region,
When
and much climb out of a bottle.
not being unable to
of a climber,
is
and with
formic bites
abdomen, acid,
with injecting
irritated, stings
it its
The
ant
time.
attachment
European bee
The be painful as a
sting claimed by the Indians to as
is
when
4 Doubtless
more.
and minutes or
sting, hurts noticeably for fifteen
much more
were stung fre-
the Indians about camps naked they
lay the
quently than
present.
at
rneumausm,
in-
When
relieve
these ants were used as medicine, to
number of the ants,
method was pick a
ternal pains, and the one to
like,
stung
where they
one part,
after another, and place them on the afflicted
accidentally
got
and dropped or
were off
allowed remain they
until
to
dozen or
by putting a
brushed himself
cured
Eustaquio [Lugo] once
off;
°
'
l Another
l ., f^-Virmre
<
., .i
them . b. osom •
on
his
modern method
in
a piece
of cheesecloth
cheesecloth
^ --
um
have «« ***—-
,IW bueteenn uusseeda Doys cceerreemmoonnyy,
iinn ttnhee boys'
or better
ants
these
doubtedly named boy on a nest of
and
to seat lay the
J was
Thpre
j.
i~ ,1.. L >;«rr V»^»1p
, _ . . hi. m .
— —
~™
~
^uii sMtIuUn1g5
DOy «
ui Wcto IIUL il
-* llUil
lilt?
,
murmur on
the
without a
until boy and
the weakened, this
fainted or all
given to
medicine
as
Part administered
of the The were
boy. ants also
an
found
have not
sick but
people being swallowed alive, I
internally,
ceremony
boys
the
informant who swallowed in
were
they
recalled that
[Harrington
note
1933:164, 128]
• • •
—
GROARK
No.
Vol. 2
21,
140
Luiseno-Juaneno referred to this
the
Harrington indicates that
Later the note,
in
ant")— "an anting" (Harrington 1933:
(< "red
'antush 'aanat literally,
as
ritual
note
164, 128)!
account
intermittently
among
191U
since at least
manuscript fieldnotes
descriptions contained in his
groups. Unfortunately, the
common name
binomial
or Latin
ml\
lm
with proper taxonomic identification of the species involved.
us the
first
Determination?—Despite the excite-
or
Inference Scientific
Harrington's Identification:
my
speculative identification,
ment finding Harrington's note confirming earlier
of
How
nagging question remained: did Harrington arrive at this identification?
a
Was merely an
it
voucher
determined
mens?
We
know
nomenclature
(most
have not surviv
which, unfortunately,
Institu
story
Smithsonian
vouchers in the
tion
reading a draft version of this paper.
after
from his office door, Dr. Schultz
The
and one
male, female.
rt
ufi
According
and each bears an identical label reading: Harrington, Collector."
"J.P.
was
determination
Schultz, the identification label indicates that the species
to
madp hv Rnhwpr hvmpnontprist who worked Smithsonians
ciipvprf Allpn a at the
Museum From
from
of Natural History 1909 to 1951.
^
j
deposited
were Rohwer, suggesting Harrington
ant identifications referred to that
specimens
Cottonia,
were
Although the specimen labels indicate that the ants collected in
—
when along
considered
:ona (and not southern California), their discovery
Harringto
with probable date of deposit
their t
determined
from
derived
specimens very published identification
(or at the least, that his
his
but before
voucher specimens collected after his Luiseno-Juaneno fieldwork,
1933 Boscana annotation).
CONCLUSIONS
de-
The combination of three lines of evidence—the physical and ecological
as
Harrington's precise 1933 entomological identification,
scription of the species,
—
make
Pogonomyrmex voucher specimens allows us to
well as the discovery of his
used
species
argument Pogonomyrmex was, the ant
a strong that californicus in fact,
b
ETHNOBIOLOGY
JOURNAL OF 141
2001
Winter
an
That such identifi-
purposes native California.
and medicinal in
visionary
for
known
use
more than century after the species' last is
be confirmed a
can
cation
anthropological
specimens
voucher in
importance of
the
testimony to
eloquent
ma-
such
preserve
that
importance of the collections
the
well as to
as
research,
terials. n
. .
comes principally
knowledge red ant ingestion
our of
Despite the fact that
when
consid-
patchwork
and well"^este
complete
remarkably
with
us a
entirety-provide
ered in their
^
exam
ethnoeraphic
most
™«
™«^« inadequate ethno-
documentation—either
from a lack of
nave
uoiiu*
w
species in
Wcl^ptiom surrounding the identity of the
confusion
a
ap
gr
AC
M
With w* ~
Willi LUC pUL/llVUiiv/ii »~~
UUC31UJ11. -
,
r
-•
•
• record of
and descriptive
the
been confirmed,
has
ant used in native California
new
This
accounts.
ethnographic
additional
supplemented with several
use
its is
much
on firmer
a
investigations
toxicological
future
taxonomic certainty places
harvester
"hallucinogenic
of
reconstruction
our
footing, adding a key piece to
California.
ant use in native south-central
NOTES
^ystems
that
two major religious
one of
The as
' Chingichngish religion is classified <K^*««£~
Debased
southern California
of
developed toloache cult
out of the
ehno
among Gate
th
originated
have
appears to
burn The Chingichngish religion
1974). £-£4T*"£
groups,
neighboring
^
spread to
during then
the proto-historic period,
my
round
cen tered a lc ^
doctrine
Bean and Vane 1978). Its
indigenous
evangelization
«^P?*
who te
taught
named Chingichngish £»*»""
counts of a shaman-like culture hero
with older local
become integrated
set of which appear have
beliefs, to ^^Z^SSSSSL
on
based
t—h«e~ tiovliouaucuhIeC cLUuLlLt-an^Cg^aahiltlaClrl.an riweilii^giivoin. ~ .-•
Clll 1CII
l wngmi
.
Datura
of
"dream ingestion
ceremonial
helpers" through the
^^^^r^n^-^^S
tormahzed
highly -
«
religion was by esoteric doctrine, ^
characterized
Jonia,
and
enclosures
the construction of ^
more d
eta
For
Cult
Chingichngish
(hence the frequent reference to the ).
Luiseno.
2
There
^—
known
-
L
w*»,
mstorica ae creenaa,
la " published versioi
^nAcagcImi^
THp
full
first
Capistmno llamado
Juan la
inson
~—
puuiibnea an appenan ifi
as
_
chose
the
"Chinigchinich
title
aocun
^.^
name
this
for
cana's ^ ^
account, and has become the de facto .
since
it _
"£
original
«™"f
different
fPPears to have relied upon two slightly ' ed
describ
.
J
Cessac t
"
the
have suggest that
been
***** **"
peculiarities
lost (however,
stylistic Robins0
n's
Harrmgton
below
was
one In 1933,
of the source versions). J.P.
anno
etnnograpnu.
pages
ot
Somet
Chinigchinich.")
ton's
.
GROARK
No.
Vol. 2
142 21,
"new Boscana" manuscript
Harrington also succeeded in locating a lost original in the
know
Biblioteque Nationale in Paris. This version
own
hand, providing us with the only surviving original manuscript.
written in Boscana's
This version; which differs in some details from Robinson's translation, was published in
English by Harrington (1934) and in the original Spanish by Reichlen and Reichlen (1971).
For the sake of clarity, will refer to all versions of the text as Boscana's Relation Historica,
1
but them under the surname of the translator or editor in order to distinguish between
cit«
I
numerous
the variant editions.
and was
This practice appears to have been based on the principle of counter-irritation,
venom
among
widespread southern and south-central Californian groups. Interestingly, the
m
of the ant Pseudomyr ex has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for chronic rheu-
component
matoid arthritis (Schultz and Arnold 1978), and there is evidence that a in
venom and symptoms Roy Los
honey-bee alleviates arthritic pain associated (Dr. Snelling,
Museum
communication
Angeles of Natural History: personal 1995).
and and have been described
4 Pogonomyrmex stings are exceedingly painful long-lasting,
around
as approximating "ripping muscles or tendons" or "turning a screw in the flesh
—
sweeps
the sting site" and of this accompanied by a nervous, chilling sensation that
all
upward
from (Schmidt
the of the sting 1986).
site
5 The only well-documented hallucinogen of non-botanical origin comes from the Sonoran
5-MeO-DMT
Desert Toad alwrius Girard), which accumulates prodigious quantities of
(Bufo
A
in venom glands (Weil and Davis 1994). number of neotropical toads and frogs
its
(mostly Dendrobates, Phyllobates, and Phyllomedusa) also secrete toxins which are used by the
Amazon
Amahuaca and Matses Indians of the Peruvian in hunting magic, although visions
Amato
cu-
are usually not reported (Carneiro 1970, 1992). Interestingly, these intoxicating
—
from
taneous alkaloids are not endogenously produced rather, they are sequestered di-
The
etary sources which include alkaloid-rich myrmicine ant species (Daly 1994). only
reference to an insect-based hallucinogen an anecdotal report by Saint-Hilaire (1824)
is
referring a moth (Myclobia smerintha Huebner) used by the Malali Indians of Brazil
to larval
produce an opium-like, dream-filled sleep. While Britton (1984) has proposed that the
to
moth new
gut or salivary glands of this larval be classified as a hallucinogen, Ott (1993:
j
moth more • i
414) argues confirmed, the accurately regarded as an "oneirogenic
that, is
if
or "dream-inducing" agent, and classifies all of these cases as "putative" hallucinogens
LITERATURE CITED
BURT
AGINSKY, W. Culture Element Washingt
1943.
XXIV D.C
Distributions: Central Sierra. Uni-
THOMAS
BLACKBURN,
versity of California Anthropological C. 1974. Cere-
Records 8:393-468. monial and Interac-
Integration Social
AMATO,
From "Hunter 93-
1992. Magic," a tion in Aboriginal California. Pp.
I.
Pharmacopoeia?
Science 258: 1306. 110 'Antap: California Indian Politi-
in
ANDERTON,
ALICE JEANNE.
The
1988. and Economic Organization (Lowell
cal
Language of the Kitanemuks of Califor- Bean and Thomas E King, Bal-
eds.).
J.
nia. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of lena Ramona
Press: California.
A New
California, Los Angeles. BRITTON,
E. B. 1984. Pointer to a
LOWELL
BEAN, JOHN and SYLVIA
Hallucinogen Journal
of Insect Origin.
BRAKKE
VANE.
1978. Cults and Ethnopharmacology
their of 12:331-333.
Transformations. Pp. 662-672 Hand- CARNEIRO, ROBERT Hunting and
in 1970.
L.
book of North American IndiansrVol. Hunting Magic Among Amahuaca.
the
—
8
California (Robert Heizer, Ethnology
9:331-341
F. ed.).