CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How come earthworms have wings?

Why do earthworms have wings?

What we usually see is the nymph stage of earthworms. The male will grow wings from nymph to adult (which takes about 8 months), while the female is wingless.

Baidu Encyclopedia has an introduction:

Male insects grow wings from nymphs to adults (about 8 months), while female insects are wingless.

How to reproduce earthworms?

During the growth process, earthworms are divided into three stages: egg sheath, larvae, and adults. Egg sheath (mass) incubation is the first stage of earthworm reproduction and growth. Hatching method: After collecting egg sheaths (masses), moisten them with water and evenly insert them into the breeding soil in the pond. The number of egg sheaths (masses) is small, so they can be incubated in a basin. At a temperature of about 30-32 degrees, after 46-50 days, the larvae will hatch.

If the temperature is low, the number of days for the eggs to hatch will be extended. Therefore, it is best to put the hatching basin in a greenhouse, where the temperature is high and the larvae can hatch early. You can also wrap the hatching basin with gauze and cover it with some firewood, which can also increase the temperature and shorten the incubation time to help the larvae hatch early. During the hatching process, if the breeding soil is found to be dry, sprinkle some cold boiled water appropriately and stir evenly to keep the breeding soil moist at all times, which is conducive to the hatching of insect eggs.

At the same time, you should check frequently. If you find that larvae have hatched, you should start feeding them. You can sprinkle some cornmeal on the breeding soil. If you want to sort out the egg sheaths (empty shells) and the unhatched egg sheaths (lumps), you can use two fingers to gently pinch the egg sheaths. The egg sheaths that have hatched will split from the serrated side, while the unhatched egg sheaths will not split. The newly hatched earthworm larvae are called nymphs. They are as big as sesame seeds and white with beige.

After half a month, the larvae shed their skin for the first time. The larvae that have just shed their skin are white, and then turn into light brown. After another half a month, they shed their skin for the second time, and their color changes from light brown to brown. After each subsequent molting, the body color becomes darker until it turns black. The body size also gradually increases with the number of moltings. Earthworms shed their skin 9 to 11 times in their lifetime before they become adults. Due to the difference between males and females and the amount of food they eat, even "twins" born together will have size differences after molting several times.

Male insects generally grow faster than female insects. After the last molting, they become adults and are officially separated into males and females. Male insects grow wings, while female insects do not. Then males and females mate freely. Female insects begin to lay eggs 7 days after mating. After the male insects grow up, they die naturally in one month. The lifespan of female insects is relatively long, and they can continue to lay eggs until they die of old age, but the amount of eggs they lay is less than when they are young and strong.