Detailed Explanation of Harvesting and Processing Methods for Ground Beetles

In zoological terms, ground beetles belong to the class Insecta, subclass Pterygota, order Blattaria. There are many species of ground beetles; according to documented records, these include the Chinese ground beetle, the Ji ground beetle, the Tibetan ground beetle, the Yunnan ground beetle, and the golden-edged ground beetle. Currently, the main species bred artificially are the Chinese ground beetle and the Ji ground beetle.

The ground beetle is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It was first recorded in the Shennong Bencao Jing: "It governs cold and heat in the heart, blood accumulation and abdominal masses, breaks hardness, and removes blood blockage." The Bencao Gangmu records: "It moves postpartum blood accumulation, treats traumatic blood stasis, treats heavy tongue, mouth sores, and children's abdominal pain and night crying." The Fenlei Caoyaoxing states: "It treats traumatic injuries, rheumatic muscle and bone pain, and reduces swelling." It is mainly used for women's blood stasis amenorrhea, abdominal mass pain, traumatic injuries, and blood stasis swelling. Among Chinese patent medicines, Dieda Wan, Zhishang San, Qili San, Xiaozhong Gao, and Baiyao contain ground beetle as an ingredient. Recently, it has also been discovered that ground beetles have anti-cancer functions.

Harvesting. Male nymphs of the ground beetle can be harvested when removing males, and older female nymphs and adults are the main targets for harvesting. When the rearing density reaches a certain number, besides retaining enough egg-laying breeding insects, large-scale harvesting can be carried out according to actual conditions. Generally, female nymphs at the 9th to 11th instar have the heaviest body weight, with a dried-to-fresh ratio reaching 38% to 41%; each 500 grams of dried nymphs contains about 800 to 1000 individuals, making harvesting most economical. Male nymphs at the 8th instar have a dried-to-fresh ratio of 30% to 33%; each 500 grams of dried nymphs contains about 2000 individuals. Besides retaining 5% of males for mating, all remaining male nymphs (about 30% of the total) should be picked out to avoid being unsuitable for medicinal use after wing emergence. Newly matured female nymphs enter the peak egg-laying period after mating and should not be harvested in batches, especially before mid-August, because the egg capsules laid can all hatch that same year, so the number of eggs should be maximized and harvesting should be avoided. For female nymphs that have passed the peak egg-laying period, the body begins to age, and they can be selectively harvested in conjunction with egg collection. From after mid-August until before overwintering, all female adults that have already laid eggs within the year should be harvested in sequence according to the order of egg-laying batches, to avoid massive deaths during overwintering due to weakened bodies.

Processing. The processing of ground beetles must be done on a sunny day with sufficient sunlight to prevent the insects from becoming moldy and deteriorating. The sun-drying method is relatively simple: first wash away mud and sand with clean water, then scald the ground beetles to death with boiling water. Then expose them to the sun for 3 to 4 days until the bodies are dry and free of impurities. When processing ground beetles, be sure to scald them thoroughly and dry them completely. Before processing, stop feeding for half a day to one day so that the food they have eaten is fully digested before processing. If residual food remains in the abdomen, it is prone to mold and insect infestation after processing, affecting medicinal efficacy. Ground beetles can also be processed by stir-frying with wine before use as medicine: mix 100 grams or 200 grams of yellow rice wine per kilogram of ground beetles, then air-dry for later use.