Raising ground beetles: from environmental management to harvesting, every step matters

The ground beetle, commonly known as tubiechong or dibiechong, is a traditional medicinal insect. Its dried female adults are used in medicine; in traditional Chinese medicine they are believed to break up blood stasis and reconnect sinews and bones, and they are often used in formulas for traumatic injuries and the like. With steady demand in the medicinal herb market, artificial breeding of ground beetles has gradually become a specialty farming project that boosts income for farmers in some regions.

Among the species commonly bred in captivity are the Chinese ground beetle (Eupolyphaga sinensis) and the Hebei ground beetle (Steleophaga plancyi), among others. The Chinese ground beetle is widely distributed and highly adaptable, making it the first choice for most breeders. Ground beetles prefer dark, damp environments. During the day they mostly hide beneath the soil layer or under rubble, and at night they come out to forage. They fear direct strong light, and they also fear dryness and being waterlogged.

Rearing methods include pond rearing, jar rearing and multi-tier vertical rearing, among others. The rearing site must retain heat and moisture and be well ventilated. The feed is mainly concentrated feed such as wheat bran and rice bran, supplemented with succulent feeds such as green vegetable leaves and melon and fruit peels, fed in small amounts many times. In daily management, attention should be paid to regulating temperature and humidity, promptly clearing away leftover feed and droppings, and preventing damage from mites, ants and rodents. During the molting period and the egg-case hatching stage, it is especially necessary to keep the environment stable.

Ground beetles can be harvested once they have molted several times and reached medicinal specifications. After harvesting, they are killed by scalding in boiling water, then sun-dried or oven-dried and stored in a dry place for later use. Before developing this business, farmers should first understand local medicinal herb purchasing channels and technical requirements, carry out small-scale trial rearing, and expand the scale gradually step by step, so as to avoid losses caused by blind investment.