CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Can I raise fireflies? (Can I raise fireflies? Why?)

1. Can fireflies be kept as pets?

This concept is the same as home-style breeding, but if the site allows, it is best to arrange it as close to the natural environment as possible. The breeding method for terrestrial species is the same as above, but they should be covered with a fine net to prevent escape; a vegetable garden can be planted to raise snails for the larvae to prey on. For aquatic species, an artificial river can be built to allow the water to circulate. It is best to have an artificial waterfall to increase the amount of oxygen dissolved naturally, but it should be noted that firefly larvae need an environment with slow water flow. Then raise carp and other fish in the river, and use the feces discharged by the carp to reproduce algae. These algae can provide food for snails; and firefly larvae can prey on these snails. Note that the slope of the river should be soil for mature larvae to pupate. If there is a larger breeding space, you can also consider designing an aquatic and terrestrial environment. Firefly larvae are carnivorous. Most terrestrial firefly larvae eat smaller snails. Of course, there are some exceptions, such as the two-color hanging whiskers firefly that only eats earthworms and not snails. Most aquatic firefly larvae eat snails in the water. Sometimes they also eat small fish and tadpoles. After the pupae transform into adults, most fireflies do not eat or drink, and often only eat dew, honeydew or pollen and nectar. In South America, a few species of fireflies can glow and prey on other types of fireflies or small light-attracting insects as food.

2. How to raise adult fireflies?

The feeding device can be a wire cage or a glass bottle, but be sure to leave ventilation holes. You can also use a transparent plastic box, but also be sure to leave ventilation holes. It is best to use iron gauze as a cover. This kind of insect will not fight or bite each other, so multiple insects can be raised together. You can put some young locust leaves or freshly picked grass in the bottle, and cover the bottle mouth with plastic gauze, iron gauze or gauze. It is advisable to maintain a certain humidity in the bottle. You can sprinkle a little water every day, and spray some water before feeding the young grass or locust leaves.

After fireflies transform into adults, most species of fireflies hardly eat or drink, and often only eat dew, honeydew or pollen and nectar. In South America, a few species of firefly adults will glow and prey on other types of fireflies or small phototactic insects as food.

3. How to raise fireflies and what do they eat?

Are you sure it's a firefly? Just put it in a cardboard box.

The larvae of fireflies are carnivorous. The larvae of terrestrial fireflies mostly eat smaller snails. Of course, there are some exceptions, such as the two-colored firefly that only eats earthworms and not snails.

Aquatic firefly larvae mostly eat snails in the water, and sometimes they also eat small fish, tadpoles, etc.

You can prepare some earthworms or mealworms for him.

4. What are the conditions for artificially breeding fireflies?

The feeding device can be a wire cage or a glass bottle, but be sure to leave ventilation holes. You can also use a transparent plastic box, but also be sure to leave ventilation holes. It is best to use iron gauze as a cover. This kind of insect will not fight or bite each other, so multiple insects can be raised together. You can put some young locust leaves or freshly picked grass in the bottle, and cover the bottle mouth with plastic gauze, iron gauze or gauze. It is advisable to maintain a certain humidity in the bottle. You can sprinkle a little water every day, and spray some water before feeding the young grass or locust leaves.

After fireflies transform into adults, most species of fireflies hardly eat or drink, and often only eat dew, honeydew or pollen and nectar. In South America, a few species of firefly adults will glow and prey on other types of fireflies or small phototactic insects as food.

Additional information:

Firefly habits:

1. Fireflies love to eat the body fluids of snails. You can catch 1-2 live snails every 2-3 days and put them in the feeder for them to eat. If the feeder is a glass bottle or a transparent plastic box, you can observe them eating snails.

2. If you raise 10 to 25 fireflies in a bottle, you only need to provide 1 snail each time. If you raise more than 25 fireflies, you can put 2 snails each time. Fireflies can generally be raised for 15 to 20 days, and if they are well raised, they can live for 1 month.

3. Firefly larvae are terrestrial species, so they should be covered with fine nets to prevent them from escaping; a vegetable garden can be planted to raise snails for the larvae to prey on. For aquatic species, artificial rivers can be built to allow the water to circulate, and it would be best if there were artificial waterfalls to increase the amount of oxygen dissolved naturally.

5. Can fireflies be bred artificially?

Cover them with glass, and then cover them with plants. It is best to have dense leaves. Spray some water every day. Raise snails inside. The size of the snails is determined by the number of fireflies. The lifespan of adult fireflies is generally only about 5 days.

Additional information

Habitat

Insects in this family like to live near water or in humid environments and are usually active at night.

Living habits

It is carnivorous and preys on mollusks such as snails and slugs and annelids such as earthworms. After obtaining the prey, it uses its upper jaw to inject secretions into the prey for external digestion and then absorbs them into the body. Usually a snail will share with many fireflies. The eggs, larvae, pupae and adults can all glow, and the glow of the adults can attract the opposite sex.

Appearance characteristics

The insects of this family are small to medium in size, long and flat, with soft body walls and elytra. They have small heads, well-developed pronotum, and cover their heads. The eyes are semispherical, and the eyes of males are usually larger than those of females. There is a pair of antennae in front of the forehead, between the two eyes, which are close to each other, with 11 segments, serrated, and the males are pecten-shaped or fan-shaped. The upper jaw is curved and has grooves running through it.

Males usually have elytra that cover the abdomen and hind wings. Females are usually wingless, but both sexes of the genus Lucanthus have wings. The elytra are densely covered with fine short hairs, and the elytra are wide at the base. The base of the forelegs is conical and has subsegments.

The coxae of the middle legs are cylindrical, with the two coxae close to each other; the coxae of the hind legs are transversely broad. The legs are slender, without special swellings, and have 5 tarsal segments. The abdomen has 7 to 8 segments, and the 6th and 7th segments have light organs that can emit yellow-green light.

Relationship with humans

The importance of insects to humans is immeasurable. Some of the products produced by insects, such as honey, silk, and wax, are food and industrial raw materials for humans; insects are pollinators for 2/3 of flowering plants; and some insects can decompose large amounts of waste and return them to the soil to complete the material cycle.

Some insects play an important role in maintaining the balance between certain plants and animals. On the other hand, insects are, in a sense, the main competitors of human survival, destroying human food and agricultural products (both before and after harvest) in large quantities.

Every year, at least 20-30% of agricultural products in the world are eaten by insects. They damage buildings, spread a variety of human and animal diseases, and cause death of humans and animals. In short, insects have a very close relationship with human interests.

The relationship between insects and humans is very complex, and one of the main factors that makes this complex is the extremely wide range of insect diets. According to previous estimates, 48.2% of insects are herbivorous, and 28% are predators, preying on other insects and small animals.

2.4% are parasitic, living outside or inside other insects and animals; and 17.3% feed on decaying organisms and animal excrement. This roughly outlines the benefits and harms of insects. But this is just a natural phenomenon, and people's views on benefits and harms are based on their economic interests, so they are much more complicated.