VORDAN KARMIR: THE RED WORM

From the Soviet Armenia Encyclopedia,
Vol. 8, 1982, pp. 642-43

Translated from the Armenian by Lemyel Armirian

(1) VORDAN KARMIR: Sub-family of insects belonging to various families of coccids, which are used for obtaining carmine dye. Most valuable are the Armenian, Mexican, and Polish insects. In the Armenian S.S.R., there are three varieties: Porphyrophora hamelii Brandt, P. monticola Borsch, and P. tritici Bod., of which only the first has been utilized, the true Araratian insect. The Armenian insect is the largest of the color-containing insects. The sexual distinctions have been well differentiated. The females are wingless, oval in shape, 4-12 mm in length and have two simple eyes; the males are 2-3 mm in length, have two wings, faceted eyes and long, fan-shaped tails. Almost the entire cycle of the development of the insect transpires within the soil, where it feeds on the roots of Aeluropus grass as well as on the roots of reeds and cane plants. In September-October, the fertilized female buries herself in the soil, 1-5 cm deep, where its egg sac takes shape and the eggs are laid. Toward the end of April to the beginning of May, the larvae emerge from the eggs and crawl up to the tender leaves of the grass for feeding; they then return to the soil and attach themselves to the roots of the grass for further feeding. During this process, the larvae become cyst-like and change their skin. From the beginning of September and for 35-40 days, both males and females emerge to the top of the soil early in the mornings (6- 11 a.m.) and the females are fertilized. The males die thereafter, while the females re-enter the soil and within a few days begin laying eggs. Eggs are also laid by unfertilized females. At all stages of growth, both males and females are red in color, but from ancient times only the females have been used for dyes. The insects are only gathered at the time when the females emerge from the soil for fertilization. According to historical sources, the insect existed in the middle regions of the Araxes River, especially in the Araratian plateau. It existed also in the salt marshes around Lake Urmia and near the city of Erzerum. In the Armenian S.S.R., the insect occurs in the regions of Hoktemberian, Etchmiadzin, Massis and Ararat; this is, in the saline marshes of those areas, ca. 4,000 hectares. Of late, the desalinization of those waters for economic and agricultural regions and the creation of lakes for fisheries have severely restricted the area for the insects and have endangered the existence of that valuable insect. To safeguard their existence, there has been created a reserve of 2,000 hectares in the Hoktemberian region where, under controlled conditions, research is being carried out for the propagation and cultivation of the insect.

(2) THE RED DYE FROM THE VORDAN KARMIR INSECT. The basic compound is carmine or its derivatives. It forms 2-5% of the live weight. This dye is noticeable for the brilliance of its color and its capacity to endure for a long time exposure to light, time, etc. It was known in very ancient times. The Assyrian king Sargon II (ca. 714 B.C.) recorded the booty of red robes when he captured the Temple of Khaldi in Mousasir. According to Greek and Roman sources, this dye received from Armenia was considered the most beautiful dye, which was used for royal and princely robes. Vordan Karmir was also used in miniature painting and as the ink for royal and Catholicossal stamps.

Preparations from Vordan Karmir were also used medicinally, as anti-inflammatory and anti-fecundity medicines and for reducing body fever. It was one of the primary exports of Armenia into the international market. Plinius Sr. (first century), Arab geographers, and others have mentioned this. Beginning in the 13th century, the production of Armenian Vordan Karmir was on the decline and was gradually removed from the international market, until the seasonal collection of the insect was gradually forgotten. At the beginning of the 19th century, a monk in the mother church of Etchmiadzin began to study the cycles of the insect and its cultivation. Later on, the Czarist government also began to study the same problem, by sending Zh. Hamel to Armenia. Hamers studies were published by the Academy of Science of St. Petersburg (Series VI, Vol. 3, part 2, pp. 9-64) and in the monthly published by the Ministry of the Interior (Zhurnal Ministerstva Vnootr.del., Ch. XVII, 1835, iyool, pp. 192-217).

During the Soviet era, B. Koozin, M. Makaryan, H. Avetyan, M. Ter Grigorian, A. Haroutunyan, K. Galfayan and A. Mooshegyan also have carried on research on Vordan Karmir. From 1971 on, the Institutes of Zoology and Organic Chemistry of the University of Yerevan have carried on research, but the secret of the production of the dye has not been found to this date (1982). Because of the growth of synthetic dye production, the cultivation of particularly Mexican dye has been severely reduced. It is used also for food and perfume and the coloration of bacteriological preparations. (There follows a list of the literature on the subject, dating from 1932 to 1975, all in Armenian.)

VORDANKHOT (AELUROPUS). A grass belonging to the type that produce grains for bread. Five kinds are known, distributed in southern Europe, in Asia, and in Africa. The better-known ones are in the European parts of the U.S.S.R., in southern Siberia, Central Asia, and Transcaucasia, growing in saline soils (A. littoralis). Unti1 1940-50, it was the dominant plant in the Araratian plateau, but because of the amelioration of the saline waters and the expansion of agriculture, it exists now only in the Hoktemberian, Etchmiadzin, Massis, Ararat and Artashat regions. The grass in the Araratian plateau grows from 20-60 cm. in length, spread on the ground and with branches rising vertically. Its leaves are narrow and lineal, and flower buds number 4-5. Its roots dig as far as 2 m into the soil for underground water. It propagates both vegetatively and by seed. It grows at the end of April to beginning of May and forms seeds in June. It can grow in the most saline waters. The most important of its uses is furnishing food to the endemic dye-producing Vordan Karmir that is native to Armenia.

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