What Do Ground Beetles Eat? Introduction to Feed Combinations and Feeding Methods for the Ground Beetle

The ground beetle, also known as the soil turtle bug or tǔyuán, is a common medicinal insect. Both adults and nymphs can be used as medicine, and artificial breeding is fairly widespread. It is an omnivorous insect with quite varied feeding habits and is not particularly picky about food, which is one of the reasons it is relatively easy to raise.

In the wild, ground beetles mostly live in dark, damp soil layers, feeding mainly on humus, dead branches and fallen leaves, rotting melons and fruit, and various plant fragments, with a particular preference for sweet, juicy foods.

In artificial breeding, wheat bran, rice bran, cornmeal, and soybean cake are usually used as the main feed, combined with succulent feeds such as green vegetable leaves, pumpkin, and melon and fruit peels. If conditions allow, animal-based feeds such as fish meal and silkworm pupa meal can also be supplemented appropriately, making the nutrition more complete and helping the ground beetle grow and molt normally.

When feeding, note that ground beetles hide during the day and come out to activity at night, so feeding should be scheduled for the evening. The feed must be kept fresh, and leftover residue should be cleaned up promptly to prevent mold and mite breeding. During the nymph stage, the food is best crushed finely for easier feeding, while adults can be given feed in slightly larger granules.

In addition, temperature has a great influence on the ground beetle's eating. When the weather turns cool, a decrease in appetite and activity is normal. Around the onset of winter, feeding should be reduced as appropriate and insulation measures taken. Keeping the rearing soil loose and moist at ordinary times generally keeps the ground beetle's appetite and condition fairly stable.