CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to breed golden cicadas?

1. How to breed golden cicada?

The golden cicada is a representative species of Cicadidae insects. It is rich in nutrients and has high medicinal value. In particular, the skin of the golden cicada is a traditional Chinese medicine, and the idiom "golden cicada sheds its shell" also comes from it. Although the cicada's living territory is getting smaller and smaller, the number of golden cicadas in nature has not decreased significantly; now in order to meet market demand, it is basically obtained through artificial breeding methods.

The cultivation and preservation technology of golden cicada eggs greatly improves the survival rate of the eggs

Next, we will explain to you in detail about the cultivation and preservation technology of cicada eggs.

1. Selecting and breeding trees

Dwarf fruit trees such as apricot trees, peach trees, apple trees or other waxy dwarf shrubs are good trees for cicada breeding. Pay attention to timely pruning of high branches to facilitate breeding management, interplant fruit tree seedlings in the gaps between trees to increase the branches for cicada egg laying, and plant cicada eggs under the trees.

The cultivation and preservation technology of golden cicada eggs greatly improves the survival rate of the eggs

2. Construction of breeding greenhouse

Before the cicadas are about to emerge, build breeding greenhouses, with an area of ​​1 mu each. Use cement columns or bamboo sticks to build fences around the breeding area, with a row spacing of 5 meters. Use bamboo poles to build a frame in the middle, and then pull iron wire to fix it, and then cover it with nylon window screens. For breeding, choose high and dry land with convenient drainage and irrigation. Avoid building breeding greenhouses in low-lying land that is prone to water accumulation.

The cultivation and preservation technology of golden cicada eggs greatly improves the survival rate of the eggs

3. Pest management and epidemic prevention

After the cicadas emerge from the ground, they have a strong tendency to move towards light. In the early stage, they should be waited until they have emerged as adults before entering the greenhouse. When catching them, the emerging cicadas will fly around and bump into the light, causing the death of the seed insects. Therefore, all the cicadas that have emerged from the ground within the first week can be caught, and they can be allowed to naturally emerge and lay eggs after a week. The seed density is about 10,000 per mu, with males and females accounting for about 50% each. Each female cicada can lay 500-1500 eggs. Each greenhouse can provide about 20 mu of cicadas for breeding. The cicadas can mate and lay eggs about 20 days after emerging. When laying eggs, the cicadas pierce the epidermis of the branches and lay eggs in the wood. Try not to walk around or make noise in the greenhouse during the mating and egg-laying period of the cicadas to avoid adverse effects on the cicadas.

The cultivation and preservation technology of golden cicada eggs greatly improves the survival rate of the eggs

Since there are many natural enemies of nymphs (cicada turtles) after they emerge from the soil and adults after they emerge from the molt, such as toads, sparrows and mantises, protection work should be done in the greenhouse. In addition, the screens should be checked frequently to see if they are damaged to prevent the golden cicada from escaping. Microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Entomogenetic algae (cicadae) can cause parasitic damage to the golden cicada seed insects, so protection should be strengthened during breeding. During the period when mature nymphs emerge from the soil, the egg stage under the tree and the period when cicada ants occur, the main natural enemies of the golden cicada are ants and red flower bugs, which must be strictly prevented. Strong ammonia can be used for soil treatment.

4. Collect and store the eggs

In addition to collecting cicada eggs naturally, you can build a gauze greenhouse to provide space for adults to lay eggs. You can use the fruit trees in abandoned orchards to replant fruit tree seedlings, and use cement columns or bamboo sticks to build fences around them, and then pull iron wires in the middle, and cover the outside with nylon window screens. The adults that have emerged or been collected can mate and lay eggs in it, and you can keep the number of adults as needed later, without having to collect seed sources from the wild.

The cultivation and preservation technology of golden cicada eggs greatly improves the survival rate of the eggs

Early to late September is the best season for harvesting cicada eggs in the breeding greenhouse. You can use fruit branch shears or a long pole with a hook on the top to cut off the 1-2 year old thin, dry and incomplete surface of the tree, and the subcutaneous wood with a large number of milky white long oval eggs, which are cicada eggs. Cut off the excess eggless dead branches above the egg-laying nest, leave 5-10 cm eggless branches below the egg-laying nest, and bundle 50-100 branches into a small bundle, put them in a plastic bag or stack them flat in the hatching room, and then use them for seed after natural treatment.

I will not go into details about the subsequent breeding techniques of cicadas. If you want to know more, we are updating the technology of cicada breeding. Of course, if you have any questions about other breeding aspects, you can also leave a message and we can discuss and learn together.

2. Will wild cicadas reproduce automatically?

Yes.

Golden cicadas mainly reproduce by laying eggs. Golden cicadas start laying eggs in July and August every year. They lay eggs in branches. After the branches wither, the eggs will hibernate in the soil. Before raising cicadas, you must choose a suitable breeding site. You can choose an orchard or elm forest, willow forest, etc. Cicada species can be collected from the wild branches with cicada eggs attached, and then hatched and cultivated, or they can be purchased directly.

Wild cicadas will reproduce automatically.

The cicada is an incomplete metamorphosis insect. Its life cycle is divided into three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Its life cycle is generally 3-5 years, but some are 5-6 years. In the United States, there are even 13-year or 17-year cicadas.

3. Do cicadas reproduce sexually?

Of course, it is sexual reproduction. Male cicadas have vocalization organs, while female cicadas do not. Female cicadas will seek out male cicadas to mate and lay eggs, thus completing a generation.

Cicadas reproduce by laying eggs. Female cicadas use needle-like ovipositors to scratch the bark of young branches and lay eggs in the branches. Cicada eggs spend the winter on the branches and hatch into nymphs in the summer of the following year. The nymphs fall to the ground, burrow into the soil, find tree roots and suck the sap from them. Nymphs live underground for several years until the evening before they emerge from the ground, find a plant to fix on, and drill out from the crack in the center of the back of the chest. They can fly at dawn the next day when their exoskeleton and wings harden. Male cicadas have vocalization organs, but female cicadas do not. Female cicadas will look for male cicadas to mate and lay eggs, thus completing a generation.

Cicadas reproduce sexually.

The male cicada has an expandable part on its tail, which opens when mating with the female cicada, releasing hormones, followed by juice flowing out. The female cicada will also secrete fluid when stimulated, and the male cicada will open its tail further to absorb the fluid. Unlike humans, these fertilized eggs are formed in the male cicada's body at first, and then discharged back into the female cicada's body, thus completing mating.

4. How to cultivate cicada seedlings?

Cultivation method of golden cicada

1. Select breeding trees. Dwarf fruit trees such as apricot trees, peach trees, apple trees or other waxy dwarf shrubs are good trees for cicada breeding. Pay attention to timely pruning of high branches to facilitate breeding management, interplant fruit tree seedlings in the gaps between trees to increase the branches for cicadas to lay eggs, and plant cicada eggs under the trees. Refer to "New Technology for Cicada Breeding" for methods.

2. Build a breeding greenhouse. Build a breeding greenhouse on the eve of the golden cicada being unearthed. Each greenhouse should be 1 mu in area. Use cement columns or bamboo sticks to build a fence around the breeding area. The row spacing of cement columns is 5 meters. Use bamboo poles to build a frame in the middle, and then pull iron wire to fix it. Then cover it with nylon window screen. For breeding, choose a plot with high and dry terrain and convenient drainage and irrigation. Avoid building a breeding greenhouse in a low-lying plot that is easy to store water.

3. Seed management and epidemic prevention. After the cicada emerges from the ground, it has a strong tendency to phototropism. In the early stage, it is necessary to wait until it has emerged as an adult before entering the greenhouse. When catching, the emerging cicada will fly around and bump into the light, causing the seed insect to die. Therefore, all the cicadas unearthed within the first week can be caught, and the cicadas can be allowed to naturally emerge and lay eggs after a week. The seed density is about 10,000 per mu, with males and females accounting for about 50% each. Each female cicada can lay 500-1500 eggs. Each greenhouse can provide about 20 mu of cicada breeding seeds. The cicada can mate and lay eggs about 20 days after the emergence of the cicada. When laying eggs, the cicada pierces the epidermis of the branches and lays eggs in the wood. Try not to walk around or make noise in the greenhouse during the mating and egg-laying period of the cicada to avoid adverse effects on the cicada.

Since there are many natural enemies of nymphs (cicada turtles) after they emerge from the soil and adults after they emerge from the molt, such as toads, sparrows and mantises, protection work should be done in the greenhouse. In addition, the screens should be checked frequently to see if they are damaged to prevent the golden cicada from escaping. Microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Entomogenetic algae (cicadae) can cause parasitic damage to the golden cicada seed insects, so protection should be strengthened during breeding. During the period when mature nymphs emerge from the soil, the egg stage under the tree and the period when cicada ants occur, the main natural enemies of the golden cicada are ants and red flower bugs, which must be strictly prevented. Strong ammonia can be used for soil treatment.

4. Collect and preserve the eggs. Early to late September is the best season for collecting cicada eggs in the breeding greenhouse. You can use fruit branch shears or a long pole with a hook on the top to cut off the 1-2 year old thin, dry and incomplete surface of the tree, and the subcutaneous wood with a large number of milky white long oval eggs, which are cicada eggs. Cut off the excess eggless dead branches above the egg-laying nest, leave 5-10 cm eggless branches below the egg-laying nest, and bundle 50-100 branches into a small bundle, put them in a plastic bag or flatten them in the hatching room, and then use them for seed after natural treatment.

Do a good job in epidemic prevention.

1. There are many natural enemies of nymphs (cicada turtles) after they emerge from the soil and adults after they emerge from the pupae, such as toads, snakes, rodents, hedgehogs, wild cats, sparrows and mantises, which all like to eat nymphs (cicada turtles). Microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Entomogenetic algae fungi (Cicada fungus) also cause parasitic damage. In addition, floods and pollution from pesticides and fertilizers are also harmful to nymphs (cicada turtles) or cicadas, so they should be carefully protected during breeding.

2. The most important seasons are the egg stage on trees, the occurrence of cicada ants, and the emergence of mature nymphs. The natural enemies of the egg stage on trees and the occurrence of cicada ants are mainly ants and red flower bugs. The treatment measures are to use 100 times strong ammonia solution to wash the egg-bearing branches or DDVP, strong chlorine, etc. to treat the soil.

Construct adult and nymph production facilities.

In addition to collecting cicada eggs naturally, you can build a gauze greenhouse to provide space for adults to lay eggs. You can use the fruit trees in abandoned orchards to replant fruit tree seedlings, and use cement columns or bamboo sticks to build fences around them, and then pull iron wires in the middle, and cover the outside with nylon window screens. The adults that have emerged or been collected can mate and lay eggs in it, and you can keep the number of adults as needed later, without having to collect seed sources from the wild.

Provide good environmental conditions.

The appropriate depth for the "breeding" of cicadas is 30 to 50 centimeters. They should be sunny and frost-proof. The soil should be soft, fertile, and pollution-free. It should not be too dry, nor should it have too much water or water accumulation. This ensures that the root system of the host plant grows and develops normally, and that the young plants are tender, developed, and juicy. In winter, the breeding area should be covered with wheat straw, rice straw, corn straw, etc. to maintain the ground temperature.

The breeding targets are newly hatched nymphs and eggs that are close to hatching.

1. Collect egg-bearing branches directly from the wild or from the seed source site and gather them indoors to promote hatching.

Hatching method: In a plastic box 70 cm long, 40 cm wide and 20 cm high, spread 5-10 cm thick fine dry sand on the bottom, place the egg branches in bundles vertically or horizontally on it, and spray mist with a small sprayer to keep the air around the egg branches high in humidity so that excess water droplets are absorbed by the fine sand at the bottom. The hatching of eggs should be checked continuously in the middle. When nymph activity is found, the branches and fine sand can be placed in the breeding place.

2. The breeding time is generally from September to October (two-year eggs) or from June to July (first-year eggs).

Dig regular narrow trenches about 30 to 50 centimeters deep, about 1 meter away from the base of the trunk, under the host plant tree in the breeding place, such as circular, square, triangular, parallel or radial shapes, for the purpose of later digging and harvesting. After "breeding", cover the soil and compact it, and keep records of the time, quantity, "breeding" trench shape and depth.

3. From the egg stage to the mature nymph (cicada turtle), the cicada needs to grow underground for three winters and summers (actually 2 years):

The first year starts to grow in June, and the weight is only about 1 gram, and the whole body and eyes are milky white;

In the second year, the weight grows to about 3 grams, the pigmentation of the whole body deepens, and the eyes turn pink;

In the third year, the nymphs (cicada turtles) mature, weighing 4.5 to 5 grams, with an average of 210 per kilogram. At this time, the body color is brown and the eyes are dark gray. Based on the weight, body color and eye color changes, the time and age of the nymph's growth and development can be accurately determined.