Püllomen: an ethnoecological perspective of the Mapuche protector spirit insect

Abstract

Biodiversity plays an important role in cultural worldviews, influencing myths, stories, and spiritual beliefs of indigenous peoples. This short review explores an ecological phenomenon that may have influenced and contributed to the development of the Mapuche good spirit insect (Püllomen), which represents the spirit of someone who passed away and comes back to the world of the living providing companion and protection on the land to their relatives. Püllomen is also represented in ceremonial silverwork jewelry. An extensive literature search related to the Püllomen and other insects and their relationship with indigenous cosmovisions in the Americas was analyzed. A novel link between an ecological phenomenon and anthropological literature review is proposed to hypothesize how this Püllomen belief could be developed from the behavior of a parasitoid wasp (Hymenoptera: Pepsis limbata on Araneae: Grammostola rosea). This brief perspective piece is a modest contribution to the vast task of elevating and preserving living traditional ecological knowledge and nature-inspired spiritual beliefs. Biocultural conservation of orally communicated traditional knowledge through generations and the conservation of associated biodiversity is key to preserving Mapuche cosmovision.