Detailed Explanation of Key Points and Management Methods for Aspongopus chinensis Breeding Technology

Aspongopus chinensis, also known as "pibanchong," "choupichong," or "jiuxiangchong," was first recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica and is the dried whole insect of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, a bug of the family Pentatomidae. It is salty in taste and warm in nature, entering the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians, and has the functions of regulating qi and relieving pain, warming the kidneys and strengthening yang. Clinically, it is used for distension and pain in the epigastrium, chest and hypochondriac oppression and distension, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, and so on. Current research shows that Aspongopus chinensis also has anti-cancer effects. In addition to being used as medicine, Aspongopus chinensis is also an important raw material for tonic and health-care products, with relatively large demand and high economic value.

Breeding Site

Aspongopus chinensis feeds on the sap of cucurbit plant vines, and its breeding method can adopt indoor cage rearing or field cage rearing.

1. Indoor cage rearing: According to the width of the site and the scale, flexibly determine the breeding area. The rearing cage can be made of wood or steel into a cage frame 6 m long, 4 m wide, and 2 m high. Five sides of the cage are sealed with nylon mesh, with the bottom open, and a small door is opened on one side of the cage for convenient operation and inspection. Cucurbit plants are planted in the cage to provide food for Aspongopus chinensis.

2. Field cage rearing: Still adopt three-dimensional cage rearing; the size of the cage can be determined according to actual conditions. Generally, a cage frame 20 m long, 10 m wide, and 2~3 m high is made and sealed with nylon mesh. If large-scale breeding is needed, more rearing cages can be set up. Cucurbit plants are planted in the cage to provide food for the insects.

Breeding Methods

Release the captured adults into the rearing cage, let them suck the sap of the vines on their own, and complete mating, oviposition, hatching, and other reproductive processes in the cage without manual management. After the nymphs hatch, pay attention to preventing storms, so as to avoid blowing the nymphs from the vines to the ground and causing massive death. This is especially important for 1st- and 2nd-instar nymphs.

Both adults and nymphs of Aspongopus chinensis are phytophagous and feed on the sap of cucurbit plant vines. Therefore, enough cucurbit plants should be planted in the cage according to the number being reared. Observations show that Aspongopus chinensis most likes to suck the sap of pumpkin vines, so it is advisable to plant pumpkins in the rearing cage. To ensure that the vine sap is plentiful, attention must be paid to applying more fertilizer to the plants and watering frequently. Overwintering Management Aspongopus chinensis overwinters as adults, and a suitable overwintering site needs to be set up in the rearing cage. Generally, stone slabs or cement slabs are placed in the cage, and there must be a certain space between the slabs and the ground, allowing the adults to overwinter under the stone slabs or cement slabs. The ground needs to remain moist; it should neither be dry nor be flooded by water. An appropriate amount of straw can be spread on the slabs to prevent severe cold and allow the adults to safely pass through the hibernation period.