Table 1 Therapeutic invertebrates of non-insect affiliations

Schistosoma mansoni

Bilharzia fluke

Diabetes 1

[222]

Ancylostoma sp.

Necator americanus

hookworms

Asthma

Crohn’s disease

[223–226]

Trichuris suis

Pig worm

Ulcerative colitis; inflammation of colon and bowel

[34, 151]

Eisenia foetida, Lumbricus rubelus

Earthworms

Secretions influence murine malignant and lymphocyte cell proliferations

[158]

Pheretima spp.

Earthworms

Eaten raw to serve as antidote in snake & spider bites

Taken orally or mixed with honey to drink in cases of malaria

Crushed and applied to red eyes

[73, 77, 119]

Metaphire houletti

Earthworm

Fried and oily substances applied externally to a burn

[153]

Perionyx sp.

Earthworm

Crushed fresh and resultant juice to drink to fight piles

[153]

Lumbricus sp.

Earthworm

Consumed for haemorrhoids, arthritis, earache, to clean obstructions

[78]

Lumbricidae etc.

Earthworms generally

Extracts with antibacterial, prophylactic and neuroimmune sytem supporting functions

[152]

Earthworms generally

Earthworm extracts with antipyretic, antispasmodic, diuretic, detoxic, antiasthmatic, antihypertensive and antiallergenic effects

[155]

Earthworms generally

Kidney stones, alopecia, jaundice, arthralgia, infections, anticoagulant & antibacterial effects

[34]

Black earthworm

Schistosomiasis, lumps

[96]

Hirudo medicinalis

(Medicinal) leech

Fried in sesame oil and oil applied over penis for stimulation

[113]

Hirudo medicinalis

(Medicinal) leech

Abnormal swellings, wound healing, surgery, piles, osteoarthritis, haematoma, anticoagulents, post-phlebitis syndrome, abscesses

[34, 227]

Angulus (=Tellina) sp.

Sea shell

Ground shell as a mild purgative; women’s diseases

[78]

Mactra sp.

Sea shell

Acne

[172]

Loligo sp.

Octopus sp.

Squid

Octopus

Asthma treatment with tea of toasted cuttlebone or octopi arms

[228]

Sepia officinalis

Cuttlefish

Skin & tooth troubles

[78]

Gastropoda generally

Snails generally

Skin, analgesic & ischaemia cardiporotective, syncope, mental illness, vertigo, infections, pain

[34, 57, 58]

Arion hortensis

Garden slug, swallowed whole

Treatment for gastritis or stomach ulcer

[163]

Unidentified slugs

N American slugs

Ulcers, bronchitis, asthma

[58, 226]

Unidentified slugs

Snail and slug slime

Facial skin lesions, acne, combat wrinkles, reduce pigmentation

[170]

Unidentified slugs

Slug mucus

Dermatitis, inflammation, calluses, wound healing, warts removal

[163]

Unidentified black slug

Black slug mucus

Wart removal

[229, 230]

Unidentified snails

Garden snails

Snail slime application in cases of skin problems and internal for tuberculosis, gastrointestinal conditions, nephritis; hernias, inflammations, colds & coughs, bronchitis, asthma, pharyngitis; snail extracts work antibacterial against Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Propionibacterium and Helicobacter pylori, scar and wrinkle removal

[164]

Pila sp.

Apple snail

Flesh boiled and drunk for bone healing or locally applied; flesh eaten for injuries; flesh eaten raw for gastritis; flesh cooked & consumed form tongue blister; shell roasted and crushed applied to burns

[73]

Pila globosa

Apple snail

Flesh cooked and eaten as relief for asthma, TB, stomach disorders, eye problems

[119]

Helix sp.

Common snail

Body consumed to treat haemorrhoids & internal ills

[78]

Helix pomatia

Whooping cough, chronic bronchitis

[169]

Semisulcospira libertina

Black freshwater snail

Ingested as soup for liver and gastroenteric trouble

[231]

Lymnaea sp.

Pond snail

Flesh, boiled in water for measles, liver ailments, swellings and sprains

[77]

Aviculariinae

Bird-eating spiders, “tarantulas”

Homeopathic uses as “mygale lasidora” tincture

[41]

Grammostola spatulata

Psalmapoeus cambridgei

China “tarantula”

S. Am.“tarantula”

Analgesic

Analgesic

[88, 146]

Brachypelma vagans

“Tarantula”

Tarantula-based beverage with spider crushed or roasted and powdered; sometimes rubbed on chest externally

[148]

Tegenaria gigantea

Sheet spider

Web’s ashes with honey as aphrodisiac and for muscular dystrophy symptoms

[113]

Heteropoda venatoria

Huntsman spider

Dried spider put in orifice to treat ottorhoea

[77]

Neoscona excelsus

Argiope pulchella

Neoscona mukerjei

Neoscona theis

Lycosa poonaensis

Pardosa birmanica

Pardosa sumatrana

Artema Atlanta

Mirpissa decorata

Orb web spider

Orb weaver

Orb weaver

Wolf spider

Pond spider

Marsh spider

House spider

Jumping spider

Spider drug to cure liver enlargement

Spider dry powder with various leaf juices to treat bleedings, dry cough, headache

Dry powder used in cases of fever in kala-azar, for purgative condition in children, insomnia and blood dysentery

Diuretic and purgative condition

Spider drug for insomnia

Dry powder used in connection with bronchitis, asthma, arterial sclerosis

Toothache

Powder to improve memory, loss of voice, applied in cases of epistaxis and to remove body fat

Spider drug to cure tonsillitis

[149]

Spiders generally

Spider webs

External uses: Removal of warts; to dress wounds and stop bleeding; internal uses: to cure troublesome, obstinate distemper, reduce intermittent fever; to congeal blood after tooth extraction

[16, 41]

Webs covered in black soot

Used to cover pale spots on people’s black skin in Chad (Africa) or dress wounds (Tanzania: Marusha)

[49]

Spider webs

Put over boils, postules, ulcers; covering wounds; curing wound following circumcision (Sudan: Dongolawi); as a filter during sucking blood (Kenya: Kuku)

[49]

Theraphosidae

Bird-eating spiders

Toasted powdered hairs mixed with chalk for pemba floor drawings used in magic about spirits and death

[59]

Tytius sp.

Scorpion

Whole animal used to treat its own sting;

Crushed scorpion or extract or dried and ground applied to site of sting

[49, 59]

Tytius discrepans

Scorpion

Inhibits Leishmania spp. in vitro

[34]

Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus

Scorpion

Consumed for skin problems & haemorrhoids

[78]

Buthus martensii or Mesobuthus martensis

Scorpion

Pain killer, convulsions, palsy, stroke, facial paralysis, migraine, lymph damage, tetanus, parotis, oedema, carbuncle;

Speech disorders

[69, 70]

Palamnaeus swammerdami

Scorpion

Boiled in mustard oil with extract for massage to relieve rheumatic joints pain

[119]

Ixodes ricinus & I. scapularis

Ticks

Vascular & thrombotic ills

[34]

Ornithodoros moubata

Soft bird tick

Deliberate tick bites to develop immunity against tick-borne fever bacterium or rubbing crushed tick into small skin incision

[49]

Boophilus microplus

Cattle tick

Chickenpox

[17]

Trombidium grandissimum

Red velvet mite

Malaria, urogenital ills, paralysis, aphrodisiac

[79]

Ocypode quadrata

Eupagurus sp.

Name not available

Ghost crab

Hermit crab

Jellyfish crab

Whole animal used for treatment of asthma and haemorrhage in women

[228]

Paratelphusa sp.

Freshwater crab

Boiled in water; water to be drunk to fight jaundice; ground up with male banana flower and consumed to healinflammatory glands

[77]

Ucides cordatus

Mangrove crab

Crab fat mixed in white wine to treat haemorrhage in women

[228]

Scylla serrata and Penaeus indicus

Mangrove crab and river prawn

Treatment of old age diabetics and to cure skin disease

[77]

Cancer pagurus

Crab

Body crushed into paste, the boiled and drunk to cure jaundice & liver ills;

as a tonic

[113, 119]

Claridopsis dubia

Mantis shrimp

Tea of powdered animal for asthma treatment

[52]

Porcellio scaber

Woodlouse, slater

Oedema

[70]

Actinopyga agassizi

Acanthaster planci

Asterias forbesi

Starfish

Anti-tumour

Anti-viral

Anti-inflammatory

[228, 232]

Unidentified

Starfish

Asthma

[96]

Echinodermata: Echinoidea

Mellita sp.,

Echinometra lucunter

Sand dollar

Sea urchins

Tea of toasted whole animal to treat asthma

[18, 228]

Scolopendra spp.

Centipedes

Hyperlipidemia, problems of joints, feet, legs, stroke, convulsions, lumps, snake bites, tumours, carbuncles, tetanus, lymphangitis, cough, alopecia, neuralgia, whooping, osteomyelitis, gangrene

[34, 69, 70, 136]

Tymbodesmus falcatus

Sphenodesmus sheribongensis

One Spirostreptid species

Millipedes

Malaria

[140]

Archispirostreptus syriacus

Giant millipede

Removal of unwanted hair from eyelids

[78]

Tachypodoiulus niger

Black millipede

Decoction to be taken orally for tuberculosis

[77]

Unidentified

Jongoo (Swaheli) millipede

Dried, used as ash and rubbed into scarifications

Referred to as “Tausenfüßler” in [51], but could be a centipede (“Hundertfüßler”)