Locusta migratoria Linnaeus
Aliases：Fù Zhōng (meaning "mound insect"), Fán (meaning "locust" in ancient texts), Zhōng (meaning "katydid"), Mǎng (here referring to a large insect, not a python), Zhé Mǎng (meaning "locust-like large insect"), Dài (an ancient term for locust), Bǎi Quán (meaning "hundreds of coiled insects"), Hé Shí (meaning "jumping insect"), Shí Hé (the reversed form of the previous term, with the same meaning), and Bǒ Zhǒng (meaning "tossing heels" or "jumping insect"). (These are all alternative names for Zhà Měng, i.e., grasshopper / locust.)
Zhà Měng (Grasshopper) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the adult insect of various species, including Locusta migratoria Linnaeus (family Acrididae), Oxya chinensis Thunberg, and Acrida lata Motsch, among others. It is recorded in Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica).
Efficacy & Actions
Dispels wind, relieves convulsions, relieves cough, and calms wheezing.
Indications
Infantile convulsions, tetanus, whooping cough, and asthma.
Modern Pharmacology
Modern research has shown that grasshoppers are rich in protein (approximately 56.84%) and various active components. Their hemolymph contains agglutinins, various hormones, and other substances. Grasshoppers are also rich in chitin, which can improve the body's acidic environment, scavenge free radicals, inhibit peroxides from damaging human tissues and cells, thereby activating cells and delaying aging.
Ingredients
Hemolymph: Agglutinin, 2‑aminoethylphosphonic acid, and vitellogenin. Hormones: Pregnenolone, progesterone, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, and ecdysone. Neuropeptides: Vasopressin‑like neuropeptide and locusta‑diuretic peptide. Others: 5‑Serotonin, protease inhibitor, total fatty acid, phospholipid, etc.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: decoct in water, 5–10 insects; or grind into powder, 1.5–3 g. For topical application: appropriate amount, ground into powder and sprinkled on, or mixed with a suitable base for application.
Contraindications
Use with caution during pregnancy.
Selected Formulas
For infantile convulsion (empirical formula) Take an appropriate amount of grasshoppers, calcine them to charcoal while retaining their properties, grind into powder, and take with sugar. For acute and chronic convulsions (empirical formula) Take 7–10 dried grasshoppers (collected after Frost’s Descent), add a small handful each of Gouteng (Uncaria rhynchophylla) and Bohe (Mentha haplocalyx) leaves, decoct in water, and administer orally. The residue can be decocted again for a second dose. For tetanus (empirical formula) Take over 10 dried grasshoppers (collected after Frost’s Descent), calcine on a tile while retaining their properties, and take with wine. For postpartum wind-cold (empirical formula) Take several dozen dried grasshoppers, calcine on a tile while retaining their properties, and take with good wine. For pertussis-like cough (incessant coughing with dozens of bouts, common in children) (empirical formula) Take 10 grasshoppers, decoct in water and drink. For tertian malaria (empirical formula) Take grasshoppers, dry in the shade, grind into powder. On the day of attack, take one square-cun spoonful with wine before dawn. For chilblains (empirical formula) Take dried grasshoppers, calcine and grind into powder, mix with sesame oil and apply; or sprinkle the powder directly on the affected area.
Daily Consumption
Stir‑fried Grasshoppers with Fennel: Use 30 g of grasshoppers and 6 g of fennel seeds. Stir‑fry them together in cooking oil. When cooked, add a small amount of salt and stir well. This dish is used for Spleen deficiency with qi stagnation, manifesting as abdominal distension, fullness, and pain. Grasshopper and Uncaria Decoction: Take 10 grasshoppers, 15 g of Uncaria (Gouteng), and 10 g of Mint (Bohe). Add 400 ml of water and decoct for 20 minutes. This decoction is used for calming wind and relieving convulsions, and for dispelling wind‑heat. It is indicated for febrile convulsions with spasms and twitching.
Medicinal Parts
It is the adult insect (dried whole insect) of various species of the genera Locusta, Oxya, and Acrida, belonging to the family Acrididae.
Selection & Storage
Store in airtight dry containers in a well‑ventilated, dry place, protected from insects.
