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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-24-29606397 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Dave, On 22-Oct-07, at 4:12 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote: > I checked Larochelle (1979; Coccinellids of Quebec) for his > comments about Coccinella septempunctata. One item stands out. > > In the early 1900s a tincture for toothache & rhumatism, made > from this beetle, was popular in Europe. If my rusty French serves, > this is prepared by mashing 60-80 seven-spotted beetles in an ounce > of alcohol (presumably then strained) and either rubbed on or taken > internally as 40-60 drops. The usage would suggest that they were > also abundant in Europe where I think they are native. > Most lady beetles, when threatened, can secrete various alkaloids from the joints of their legs, a process called "reflex-bleeding". These are in various degrees distasteful and cause potential predators to release them (or at least not to consume others the next time round). These alkaloids have, in fact, been named after the lady beetles from which they are derived. Hence there is coccineline (from Coccinella spp.), hippodamine (from Hipodamia spp.), and adaline (from Adalia bipunctata). John Acorn in his new book on the lady beetles of Alberta describes the "taste tests" (I kid you not ... :- >) that he has conducted over the years with various species of lady beetles. For the record, the worst-tasting lady beetle in Canada that he has found is Coccinella septempunctata! I've no idea what these alkaloids actually do. Perhaps some of them have some anesthetic properties that might be helpful in terms of a topical application for toothache. I can't imagine that any of them would be of much assistance for rheumatism. Perhaps one might be nauseated sufficiently so that one forgets that one has rheumatism ... ? ;-> Cheers, Chris _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 (902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. --Apple-Mail-24-29606397 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Hi Dave,<div><br><div><div>On 22-Oct-07, at 4:12 PM, David & Alison = Webster wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"-webkit-text-stroke-width: -1; = ">=A0=A0=A0I checked Larochelle (1979; Coccinellids of Quebec) for his = comments about Coccinella septempunctata. One item stands = out.</span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0=A0 = </span>In the early 1900s a tincture for toothache & rhumatism, made = from this beetle, was popular in Europe. If my rusty French serves, this = is prepared by mashing 60-80 seven-spotted beetles in an ounce of = alcohol (presumably then strained) and either rubbed on or taken = internally as 40-60 drops.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 = </span>The usage would suggest that they were also abundant in Europe = where I think they are native.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = "><br></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Most lady beetles, when = threatened, can secrete various alkaloids from the joints of their legs, = a process called "reflex-bleeding". These are in various = degrees=A0distasteful=A0and cause potential predators to release them = (or at least not to consume=A0others=A0the next time round). These = alkaloids have, in fact, been named after the lady beetles from which = they are derived. Hence there is coccineline (from <i>Coccinella</i> = spp.), hippodamine (from <i>Hipodamia</i> spp.), and adaline (from = <i>Adalia bipunctata</i>). John Acorn in his new book on the lady = beetles of Alberta describes the "taste tests" (I kid you not ... = :->) that he has conducted over the years with various species of = lady beetles. For the record, the worst-tasting lady beetle in Canada = that he has found is<i>=A0Coccinella septempunctata</i>!=A0</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I've no idea what these = alkaloids actually do. Perhaps some of them have some anesthetic = properties that might be helpful in terms of a topical application for = toothache. I can't imagine that any of them would be of much assistance = for=A0rheumatism. Perhaps one might be nauseated sufficiently so that = one forgets that one has=A0rheumatism ... ?=A0=A0;-></div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Chris</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div> <p style=3D"margin: 0.0px = 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</font></p> <p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font = face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka = - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</font></p> <p style=3D"margin: = 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </span>B3H 3A6</font></p> <p = style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </span>Email <<a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></f= ont></p> <p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face=3D"Times"= size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</font></p> </div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-24-29606397--
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Index of Subjects