An indoor large-scale artificial breeding method of terrestrial firefly luciola praeusta

Abstract

The application discloses an indoor large-scale artificial breeding method of land firefly luciola cruciata, and relates to the technical field of insect breeding, in particular to an indoor large-scale artificial breeding method of land firefly luciola cruciata, which comprises the following steps: step one, construction of a breeding room; step two, dividing the breeding room into multiple breeding areas by using water ditches; step three, breeding of insects; step four, pupa period management; step five, management and mating and egg laying of adult stages; step six, egg hatching; step seven, breeding of newly hatched larvae and young larvae; and step eight, breeding of middle-aged and old larvae. The indoor large-scale artificial breeding method of land firefly luciola cruciata can keep a relatively constant and suitable temperature in summer and winter, keep a suitable breeding environment, greatly save manpower, achieve the goal of high-efficiency artificial indoor large-scale breeding of fireflies, greatly improve the breeding efficiency, and reduce the breeding cost of the fireflies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of insect breeding technology, specifically to a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly, the trilobite firefly. Background Technology

[0002] With rising economic levels, ecotourism, health foods, and novel and unique products are gaining popularity. Fireflies, as special luminescent insects with profound cultural connotations of love and inspiration, are increasingly becoming a favorite in the tourism, sightseeing, and organic agriculture industries and markets. Fireflies can not only be used to create unique firefly-themed tourist attractions, theme parks, themed hotels, and real estate, but also serve as emerging tokens of love for couples, educational and inspirational products for children, and, moreover, their valuable luciferin can be extracted. The comprehensive development and utilization of fireflies is showing enormous potential.

[0003] All market development of fireflies must be based on mature large-scale indoor breeding technology. Therefore, artificial breeding technology for fireflies has become a very urgent need. Due to the scarcity of biological data on fireflies, their long growth cycle, and the completely different breeding techniques for each developmental stage, the invention patent "Indoor Large-Scale Artificial Breeding Method of Semi-Aquatic Fireflies" invented by Cao Chengquan et al. in 2018 provides a relatively detailed description of semi-aquatic fireflies. However, terrestrial fireflies and semi-aquatic fireflies have significant differences in their living environment and behavioral habits. The content of this invention patent is not suitable for the breeding of terrestrial fireflies. Therefore, there is still no suitable artificial breeding technology for terrestrial fireflies.

[0004] Fireflies, belonging to the family Lampyridae in the order Coleoptera, can be divided into three life types: aquatic, terrestrial, and semi-aquatic. Their eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults all possess unique bioluminescent habits, making them valuable for development and utilization. Among them, the trilobite firefly *Emeiapseudosauteri* larvae can glow for about nine months, while adults glow earlier, typically from mid-March to late April each year, and at high densities, creating a stunning bioluminescent effect and significant market potential.

[0005] However, due to the extremely limited biology of trilobite fireflies, there are almost no artificial breeding techniques. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly, *Trilobite tiliaceus*, which solves the problem mentioned in the background art that due to the scarcity of biological information about *Trilobite tiliaceus*, there is almost no artificial breeding technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobite*, comprising the following specific steps:

[0008] Step 1: Construction of the breeding room. The breeding room is equipped with ventilation, heat preservation and sun protection functions. The breeding room is equipped with pools for water storage and planting native plants.

[0009] Step Two: Divide the breeding room into multiple breeding areas using water ditches. Construct a cement pool 1-2m long, 0.6-1m wide, and 0.4m high for each breeding area. The cement pool supplies water to the breeding racks. Densely plant aquatic plants for water purification and recycling in the pools, with a planting area to pool bottom area ratio of 1:3. Place multiple breeding boxes layered on the breeding racks, which are then placed in the cement pools. Install supplemental lighting on both sides above the breeding boxes to ensure the survival of weeds. Use a sprinkler system to spray water from the breeding room's water storage pool into the breeding boxes, with 1-2 sets of sprinklers per box. Control the spraying time to ensure suitable humidity in the breeding boxes and prevent water accumulation.

[0010] Step 3: Breeding insects. Lay 3-5cm of sterilized soil at the bottom of the breeding box, then lay a layer of fresh moss on the soil. Rinse the insects two to three times with clean water and place them on the moss in the breeding box. Illuminate the moss with a spotlight for 10±0.5 hours every day, keep the soil in the breeding box moist with a sprayer, feed them two to three times a week, and remove any leftover food in a timely manner.

[0011] Step 4: Pupal Management. During the prepupal stage, fireflies will seek suitable places to build nests during the larval stage. Use sterilized soil to create an environment conducive to the pupation of fireflies. During this stage, keep the soil moist, pay attention to ventilation, and do not feed them. Observe the breeding box in the early stage of pupation. After 50±3% of the fireflies have built nests, seal the breeding box with a mesh after pupation.

[0012] Step 5: Management of adult fireflies and mating and egg laying. One to two days after the fireflies emerge as adults, transfer them to a plastic box. Place adult habitat and egg-laying medium in the box, and place food for the adults in the box. Change the food daily. After the adults have finished laying eggs, remove any dead adults.

[0013] Step Six: Hatching of the eggs. In the incubator, spread 2-5cm of sterilized soil, place the medium containing the eggs on the soil surface, and then cover the medium with moistened toilet paper and gauze. Place it in a well-ventilated environment with a temperature of about 20℃ and an ambient humidity of 60±2% for hatching. After hatching, transfer the larvae to the breeding box.

[0014] Step 7: Rearing newly hatched larvae and young larvae. Divide the rearing box into small compartments arranged in a 3*3 or 3*4 pattern. Raise the larvae in the small compartments of the rearing box. When rearing, chop the food and put it into the rearing box at multiple points, feeding at fixed points and times. Adjust the amount of food according to the amount of uneaten food after the larvae have eaten, and clean up the uneaten food in time to keep the environment clean.

[0015] Step 8: Raising medium and old larvae. Transfer the larvae to the rearing box. Wash the food, roughly cut it, and put it into the rearing box. The larvae will find and feed on their own. Feed them at 9 pm, twice a week. Clean up the leftovers before 8 am the next day after feeding.

[0016] Optionally, in step one, the breeding room is constructed of sandwich foam board material, with an area > 50㎡, a wall height > 3m, a roof height ≥ 4m, and has light transmission and rain protection functions. The walls of the breeding room have more than three exhaust fans to ensure good air quality, and the top of the breeding room has cooling spray facilities to prevent the indoor temperature from being too high in summer.

[0017] The breeding room has two layers of openable and closable shade netting on the top. The breeding room has a water storage tank to facilitate water drying, purification and oxygenation. In addition, a cement pool with a length of 2m, a width of 1m and a height of 0.5m is built to plant plants native to fireflies. During the adult stage, the adult fireflies can be covered with a 60-mesh transparent net and placed in it to mate and lay eggs.

[0018] Optionally, the breeding room in step one needs to be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: prepare a 50g / L solution using quicklime, dissolve it, filter it through a 100-mesh screen, add a 10g / L caustic soda solution to the filtrate, stir well, and then add it to a sprayer to spray disinfection on the breeding room and surrounding environment.

[0019] Optionally, the breeding box in step two needs to be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: use a 10×10 ～6 Wash the breeding boxes and other breeding-related equipment three times with potassium permanganate solution or bleaching powder solution, and then rinse them with clean water 3 to 5 times.

[0020] Its sprinkler system and supplemental lighting can be remotely controlled via mobile app. The sprinkler and supplemental lighting work together to ensure that the soil in the breeding boxes remains moist and that the vegetation grows well.

[0021] Optionally, the pupation stage insect density in step four is 500±20 insects / m².

[0022] Optionally, in step five, the adult insects need to be fed daily. The food is a 5% sucrose solution prepared with sucrose and cooled boiled water. When using it, soak a defatted cotton ball in the sucrose solution, take out the cotton ball, and put it into the adult insect breeding box or breeding cage.

[0023] Optionally, in step six, the egg incubation box is approximately 15×10×5cm in length, width, and height, and the hatched insects should be transferred to the breeding box in a timely manner.

[0024] Optionally, in step seven, for the rearing of newly hatched larvae and larvae before the third instar, hiding places should be placed in the rearing box, and the rearing density should be 2000±100 larvae / ㎡.

[0025] Optionally, in step eight, the animals are fed approximately twice a week, and leftover food is cleaned up promptly. The stocking density is 500±15 animals / m².

[0026] Optionally, the indoor temperature of the breeding room is set to 20-25℃, the humidity is set to 70-80%, and the water temperature for spraying is set to 15-20℃.

[0027] This invention provides a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly, *Firefly trilobite*, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] This invention describes a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly, *Fireflyia triloba*. The breeding facilities utilize inexpensive building materials, are easy to operate, and are non-toxic and harmless, reducing costs and accelerating construction. The invention maintains a relatively constant and suitable temperature in summer and winter, preventing damage to the fireflies from sudden temperature increases or decreases, promoting their growth and development, and even enabling year-round breeding. A water storage tank is included to facilitate centralized treatment of the breeding water through drying, purification, and oxygenation, ensuring the healthy growth of the fireflies.

[0029] This method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobite* uses soil and moss to create a suitable breeding environment. This keeps the environment moist without causing the soil to compact or become muddy. Furthermore, the use of an intelligently controlled sprinkler and lighting system maintains a suitable breeding environment, greatly saving manpower and achieving the goal of efficient large-scale indoor artificial breeding of fireflies.

[0030] This method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Fireflyia trilobata* employs appropriate breeding techniques for firefly larvae of different ages, and sets up suitable pupation sites, mating sites, egg-laying media, and hatching environments. Through the coordinated use of a series of breeding methods, the normal growth and development of fireflies at each stage is effectively guaranteed, improving the survival rate of the bred fireflies and providing a strong guarantee for the large-scale artificial breeding of terrestrial fireflies, especially *Fireflyia trilobata*.

[0031] This method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobus* enables complete three-dimensional cyclic breeding of all life stages in the breeding room. Furthermore, it utilizes an intelligent system to complete complex manual operations such as water and lighting systems, greatly improving breeding efficiency and reducing costs related to land and labor, thereby lowering the overall cost of firefly breeding.

[0032] The indoor large-scale artificial breeding method of the terrestrial firefly Trilobite Firefly reduces food waste and labor costs in waste disposal by controlling the amount of food provided and the earthworms in the breeding environment, and by having the earthworms feed on the waste.

[0033] The indoor large-scale artificial breeding method for the terrestrial firefly Trilobite Firefly uses soil and moss to create a breeding environment, which has low breeding costs and is conducive to the fireflies hiding, thus achieving a high breeding density and increasing the number of fireflies per unit area.

[0034] The indoor large-scale artificial breeding method for this terrestrial firefly, the trilobite firefly, uses separate breeding boxes for small-area, intensive breeding of newly hatched and young larvae, which can effectively and conveniently clean up food residue and maintain a clean environment; for middle and older larvae, larger breeding boxes are used, and the automatic foraging method is adopted, which helps to improve the activity of the fireflies.

[0035] The indoor large-scale artificial breeding method for the terrestrial firefly *Fireflyia triloba* involves disinfecting the breeding room, breeding boxes, and hatching equipment during the breeding process. This disinfection method not only effectively prevents the invasion of various pathogens but also prevents the spread of diseases, thus ensuring the successful breeding of terrestrial fireflies. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] Example 1: This invention provides a technical solution: a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobite*, comprising the following specific steps:

[0039] Step 1: Construction of the breeding room. The breeding room is equipped with ventilation, heat preservation and sun protection functions. The breeding room is equipped with pools for water storage and planting native plants.

[0040] Step Two: Divide the breeding room into multiple breeding areas using water ditches. Construct a cement pool 1-2m long, 0.6-1m wide, and 0.4m high for each breeding area. The cement pool supplies water to the breeding racks. Densely plant aquatic plants for water purification and recycling in the pools, with a planting area to pool bottom area ratio of 1:3. Place multiple breeding boxes layered on the breeding racks, which are then placed in the cement pools. Install supplemental lighting on both sides above the breeding boxes to ensure the survival of weeds. Use a sprinkler system to spray water from the breeding room's water storage pool into the breeding boxes, with 1-2 sets of sprinklers per box. Control the spraying time to ensure suitable humidity in the breeding boxes and prevent water accumulation.

[0041] Step 3: Breeding insects. Lay 3-5cm of sterilized soil at the bottom of the breeding box, then lay a layer of fresh moss on the soil. Rinse the insects two to three times with clean water and place them on the moss in the breeding box. Illuminate the moss with a spotlight for 10±0.5 hours every day, keep the soil in the breeding box moist with a sprayer, feed them two to three times a week, and remove any leftover food in a timely manner.

[0042] Step 4: Pupal Management. During the prepupal stage, fireflies will seek suitable places to build nests during the larval stage. Use sterilized soil to create an environment conducive to the pupation of fireflies. During this stage, keep the soil moist, pay attention to ventilation, and do not feed them. Observe the breeding box in the early stage of pupation. After 50±3% of the fireflies have built nests, seal the breeding box with a mesh after pupation.

[0043] Step 5: Management of adult fireflies and mating and egg laying. One to two days after the fireflies emerge as adults, transfer them to a plastic box. Place adult habitat and egg-laying medium in the box, and place food for the adults in the box. Change the food daily. After the adults have finished laying eggs, remove any dead adults.

[0044] Step Six: Hatching of the eggs. In the incubator, spread 2-5cm of sterilized soil, place the medium containing the eggs on the soil surface, and then cover the medium with moistened toilet paper and gauze. Place it in a well-ventilated environment with a temperature of about 20℃ and an ambient humidity of 60±2% for hatching. After hatching, transfer the larvae to the breeding box.

[0045] Step 7: Rearing newly hatched larvae and young larvae. Divide the rearing box into small compartments arranged in a 3*3 or 3*4 pattern. Raise the larvae in the small compartments of the rearing box. When rearing, chop the food and put it into the rearing box at multiple points, feeding at fixed points and times. Adjust the amount of food according to the amount of uneaten food after the larvae have eaten, and clean up the uneaten food in time to keep the environment clean.

[0046] Step 8: Raising medium and old larvae. Transfer the larvae to the rearing box. Wash the food, roughly cut it, and put it into the rearing box. The larvae will find and feed on their own. Feed them at 9 pm, twice a week. Clean up the leftovers before 8 am the next day after feeding.

[0047] In this embodiment, the breeding room in step one is constructed of sandwich foam board material, with an area of ​​>50㎡, a wall height of >3m, a roof height of ≥4m, and has light transmission and rain protection functions. The walls of the breeding room have more than three exhaust fans to ensure good air quality in the breeding room. The top of the breeding room has cooling spray facilities to prevent the temperature inside the breeding room from getting too high in summer.

[0048] The breeding room has two layers of openable and closable shade netting on the top. The breeding room has a water storage tank to facilitate water drying, purification and oxygenation. In addition, a cement pool with a length of 2m, a width of 1m and a height of 0.5m is built to plant plants native to fireflies. During the adult stage, the adult fireflies can be covered with a 60-mesh transparent net and placed in it to mate and lay eggs.

[0049] In this embodiment, the breeding room in step one needs to be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: prepare a 50g / L solution using quicklime, dissolve it, filter it through a 100-mesh screen, add a 10g / L caustic soda solution to the filtrate, stir it evenly, and then add it to a sprayer to spray disinfection on the breeding room and surrounding environment.

[0050] In this embodiment, the breeding box in step two needs to be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: use 10×10 ～6 Wash the breeding boxes and other breeding-related equipment three times with potassium permanganate solution or bleaching powder solution, and then rinse them with clean water 3 to 5 times.

[0051] Its sprinkler system and supplemental lighting can be remotely controlled via mobile app. The sprinkler and supplemental lighting work together to ensure that the soil in the breeding boxes remains moist and that the vegetation grows well.

[0052] In this embodiment, the density of pupating insects in step four is 500±20 per square meter.

[0053] In this embodiment, the adult insects need to be fed daily in step five. The food is a 5% sucrose solution prepared with sucrose and cooled boiled water. When using it, soak the defatted cotton ball in the sucrose solution, take out the cotton ball, and put it into the adult insect breeding box or breeding cage.

[0054] In this embodiment, the egg hatching box in step six is ​​approximately 15×10×5cm in length, width, and height, and the hatched insects should be transferred to the breeding box in a timely manner.

[0055] In this embodiment, for the rearing of newly hatched larvae and larvae before the third instar in step seven, hiding places should be placed in the rearing box, and the rearing density should be 2000±100 larvae / ㎡.

[0056] In this embodiment, in step eight, the animals are fed about twice a week, and the leftover food is cleaned up in a timely manner. The stocking density is 500±15 animals / ㎡.

[0057] In this embodiment, the indoor temperature of the breeding room is set to 20-25℃, the humidity is set to 70-80%, and the water temperature for spraying is set to 15-20℃.

[0058] Example 2: This invention provides a technical solution: a method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobite*, comprising the following specific steps:

[0059] Step 1: Construction of the breeding house

[0060] There are no uniform, rigid requirements for the construction of trilobite firefly breeding houses; the method can be adapted to local conditions. However, the following factors should be noted:

[0061] 1) Good ventilation: The complete generation of the trilobite firefly takes a year, while the larvae live for up to 9 months. Therefore, for nearly 9 months, food is constantly being provided and waste is being cleaned up. If the ventilation is not good, it can easily lead to environmental pollution, cause larval diseases, and cause great damage to the trilobite firefly. Therefore, it is essential to set up good ventilation equipment, design more windows and exhaust fans to ensure good ventilation.

[0062] 2) Keep warm and prevent high temperatures: When raising trilobite fireflies, maintaining a relatively stable environment is conducive to the growth and development of the insects. Especially in areas where the conditions in the wild are not suitable, keeping warm and preventing high temperatures become the basic guarantee for successful breeding.

[0063] In regions with low winter temperatures, adequate insulation can significantly reduce the time of the final instar larvae of the trilobite firefly, allowing them to pupate and emerge earlier. With enhanced human control, a large number of adults can even emerge during the Spring Festival. Therefore, sandwich foam board materials can be used for construction, which not only provides warmth but also saves materials and allows for convenient and quick construction.

[0064] In summer, if the temperature is high and the breeding boxes are exposed to direct sunlight, the trifoliate firefly is prone to drying out and dying. In addition, high temperatures can also easily lead to the growth and spread of pathogens, causing disease in the trifoliate firefly and resulting in losses. Therefore, multiple layers of shade nets or other heat dissipation equipment can be installed on the roof. When the indoor temperature reaches above 30°C, heat dissipation should begin, and the indoor temperature should be maintained between 15°C and 30°C.

[0065] 3) Large breeding room area: The breeding room includes the breeding of all four stages of trilobite firefly: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Adults also mate and lay eggs in this breeding room. In order to improve the scale and efficiency of breeding, it can also facilitate operation and management. Therefore, the area of ​​the breeding room should be as large as possible in principle. Generally, a breeding room unit should be more than 50 square meters. At the same time, trilobite firefly adults need sufficient height and space to fly, so the wall height of the breeding room must be more than 2 meters and the roof height is generally more than 4 meters.

[0066] 4) Indoor setup and decoration requirements: In order to facilitate management and suit the life of each stage of the trilobite firefly, at least one side of the breeding room should have a pool with a width of about 0.5m for planting low-lying plants from the trilobite firefly's native habitat, which is convenient for adults to rest and lay eggs when flying. In addition, a water pool is designed in the breeding room near the breeding rack. The water pool is about 2m long, 0.5m wide and high, which is convenient for the water pump of the sprinkler system to draw water. At the same time, drawing water through the water pool also facilitates the centralized drying, oxygenation and purification of the water in the pool.

[0067] (1) Configuration of aquaculture-related facilities

[0068] Trilobite fireflies are nocturnal fireflies, inhabiting the area during the day and active at night. They generally inhabit relatively damp wastelands or weedy areas in the mountains, preferring humid environments but not open water. Therefore, the breeding facilities must have suitable humidity and hiding places to facilitate their normal activity and concealment. The breeding facilities mainly include cement ponds, breeding boxes, water systems, and lighting systems, with the specific configuration as follows:

[0069] 1) Cement pond design: During the breeding of trilobite fireflies, a certain amount of water is needed to maintain the humidity of the environment. The cement pond supplies water to the breeding rack. About 1 / 3 of the pond area is densely planted with various aquatic plants for the purification of breeding water and to facilitate water recycling. The cement pond is built in each breeding area with a length of 1-2m, a width of 0.6-1m, and a height of 0.5m.

[0070] 2) Breeding box design: Multi-layered breeding boxes are placed vertically to form a breeding rack, which is placed in a cement pool. Each breeding box is set up with a moist weed environment suitable for the life of fireflies. The cement pool is also set up with a moist weed environment that fireflies like, which is conducive to the normal growth of fireflies that escape from the breeding boxes. At the same time, the cement pool can also be used as a breeding box to breed fireflies.

[0071] 3) Water system: Trilobite firefly larvae prefer a moist environment, but they are easily stuck in mud, leading to death. They cannot fall into water. Therefore, a water system that can keep the soil moist but prevent mud and puddles is very important. A sprinkler system should be set up, with a water pump drawing water from the pool. Each breeding box should have 1-2 sets of sprinkler heads. Using an intelligent sprinkler system, the amount and timing of water spraying can be precisely controlled to achieve the desired effect, reducing labor costs and minimizing the impact of manual handling on the trilobite fireflies.

[0072] 4) Lighting system: The lighting system is mainly used to keep the plants in the cultivation box alive, enable the cultivation box to have self-purification ability, reduce the reproduction of pathogens, improve cultivation efficiency, and supplement the light required by the trifoliate firefly during its growth process; the lighting system consists of spotlights installed on the upper sides of the cultivation box, which are turned on during the day to allow the plants in the cultivation box to be irradiated for about 10 hours every day.

[0073] (2) Breeding of breeding insects (middle and old larvae)

[0074] Breeding larvae (middle and older larvae) generally refer to firefly larvae of the fourth instar and above. Their breeding includes cleaning the breeding larvae, setting up the breeding environment, and breeding management. After the fourth instar, the trilobite firefly gradually becomes stronger, larger, and more resistant to the environment, and at this time the larvae survival rate is relatively stable. Since the breeding larvae need to be transported under high-density storage conditions for a period of time, fighting, biting, and even the production of harmful substances may occur between the larvae during transportation. Therefore, the breeding larvae must be cleaned before release. They can be rinsed with clean water. Place the breeding larvae in a box, add clean water, shake gently for about 10 seconds, pour out the clean water, and repeat the rinsing process about three times.

[0075] For setting up the breeding box, lay 3-5cm of sterilized soil at the bottom of the breeding box, then lay a layer of fresh moss on the soil, and then put in the cleaned breeding insects; for making sterilized soil: collect soil from the firefly's habitat, remove impurities such as dead branches and fallen leaves, crush it, spread it evenly to a thickness of about 5cm, and then put it in an oven to sterilize at a temperature of about 100℃ for more than 10 hours.

[0076] Live snails, slugs, earthworms, and other food can be cleaned, cut into pieces, and placed directly into the breeding box for the larvae to forage for. This helps improve the larvae's activity level and enhances their environmental adaptability, but it may lead to food waste and increase the workload of cleaning up food residue. Alternatively, the food can be washed with clean water, chopped, and placed in filter paper or other small containers. These containers should be placed not far from the firefly habitat so that the larvae can feed at these locations. After feeding, the food residue and filter paper can be discarded or the culture dishes and other containers can be cleaned. This method is very beneficial for environmental maintenance, but it requires more work.

[0077] Feeding can generally be done in the evening, once every 2 to 4 days depending on the feeding situation. The next morning, clean up the food residue, wash the feeding utensils, and keep the breeding environment clean. Check the moss regularly. If the moss is found to be dead, replace it with fresh moss in time. Check whether the spotlight covers the moss. Keep the spotlight shining on the moss for more than 10 hours a day. Turn on and off the sprayer according to the dryness and wetness of the soil to keep the soil in the breeding box moist.

[0078] The ideal temperature for the breeding room is between 15 and 25°C, and the humidity is between 70% and 80%. Pay attention to the hygiene of the environment and the personnel involved in the breeding process to prevent the introduction of pathogens. Ensure proper ventilation to prevent large-scale outbreaks of disease in larvae due to dampness, high temperatures, or decaying food residue. If disease occurs, isolate the affected larvae immediately or discard them to prevent the spread of the disease. Simultaneously, ensure the safety of the water source. Avoid using strong lights, making loud noises, and smoking while working in the breeding room to prevent disturbing the larvae.

[0079] (3) Management of the pupal stage

[0080] When the trilobite firefly grows into a mature larva, it will reduce its feeding and seek a suitable place to build a nest and pupate. At this time, attention should be paid to creating a suitable environment for pupation and strengthening management.

[0081] To create the ideal environment for the pupation stage, spread about 5cm of sterilized soil at the bottom of the box, add cooled boiled water to maintain soil moisture at 20%–40%. This ensures the soil is moist but not muddy, providing the necessary moisture for the firefly to pupate and build its nest. Then, cover the soil with moss to retain moisture and prevent it from becoming muddy when watered, which would hinder the fireflies' nesting and pupation. Next, place the fireflies on the moss in the box to facilitate crawling and finding a suitable pupation site. Finally, seal the box with 40-mesh or 60-mesh mesh to further retain moisture and prevent ants, spiders, and other pests from entering and affecting the fireflies' growth.

[0082] Fireflies do not feed during their pupal stage, so there is no need to feed them. Just keep the soil in the box moist and ensure good ventilation so they can pupate. Observe the pupation of the breeding box. When 50% of the pupae have built nests, you can seal the breeding box with a mesh screen and try not to look through or disturb it.

[0083] (4) Management of adult insects and mating and egg laying

[0084] In about a month, the pupa begins to emerge as an adult. The adult crawls out of the pupal chamber and stays nearby for about a day before it can fly freely. The adult's lifespan is generally about a week. It only feeds on some liquid food. In the early stages, the adult can be allowed to fly in a mesh cage. The mesh cage can be about two meters in length, width and height.

[0085] Cylindrical plastic boxes with a diameter of 15-20cm and a height of about 10cm were used as mating and egg-laying boxes for fireflies. About 1cm of sterilized soil was placed at the bottom of the box, followed by a layer of fresh moss. The sterilized soil was prepared by collecting soil from firefly habitats, removing dead branches and leaves, breaking it up, spreading it evenly to a thickness of about 5cm, and then sterilizing it in an oven at about 100℃ for at least 10 hours. Finally, male and female adult fireflies were placed in the egg-laying box at a ratio of approximately 1:1, along with cotton balls soaked in sugar water. The cotton balls were changed daily. The sugar water was a 5% sucrose solution. Dead adult fireflies were cleaned promptly during this period to minimize observation and reduce the impact on mating and egg-laying.

[0086] (5) Hatching of the eggs

[0087] The key to hatching the eggs is to set up a good incubation environment. You can use an open cylindrical plastic container with a diameter of about 20cm and a height of about 10cm as an incubation box. Collect soil from the firefly habitat, remove impurities such as dead branches and fallen leaves, break it up, spread it evenly to a thickness of about 5cm, and then put it in an oven to sterilize at a temperature of about 100℃ for more than 10 hours.

[0088] Setting up the incubation box: Place the sterilized soil in the incubation box, 2-5cm thick, and add cooled boiled water to keep the soil moisture at about 15%. This moisture level is relatively moist but will not become muddy. It ensures that the trilobite firefly eggs have the moisture needed for hatching, but will not make the eggs sink into the mud due to excessive moisture, which is conducive to the hatching of the trilobite firefly eggs.

[0089] Place the medium containing the eggs on the soil surface, and then cover the eggs with a damp tissue or gauze. This simulates the wild environment, which helps maintain the humidity of the entire space where the eggs are located, which is conducive to hatching. If there is disease, it can also block the spread of disease. Place the hatching box set up above in a well-ventilated environment with a temperature of about 20°C and an ambient humidity of about 60% for hatching. After hatching, transfer the larvae to the rearing box.

[0090] (6) Rearing of newly hatched larvae and young larvae

[0091] Newly hatched larvae and early-stage larvae refer to the 1st to 3rd instar trilobite firefly larvae. Their rearing mainly includes detailed rearing boxes and meticulous rearing management. Eggs hatch in about 30 days in a suitable environment. Some of the newly hatched first-stage larvae are attached to moistened tissue paper or gauze. The tissue paper or gauze can be directly removed and placed in the larval rearing box to allow them to crawl into the rearing box. Other first-stage larvae can be gently picked out with a soft brush and placed in the rearing box.

[0092] Since the 1st to 3rd instar larvae have weak activity and limited food-finding ability, the rearing box is divided into 9 or 12 small compartments. The larvae are raised in these compartments. When feeding, food is placed at fixed times and locations in multiple spots within the rearing box to reduce the distance the fireflies have to travel to obtain food. Additionally, because the fireflies' mouthparts are very small and their feeding ability is poor during this period, it is best to feed them delicate foods such as snails and earthworms. When feeding, wash the food with clean water, chop it up, and place it in filter paper or other small containers. Place these containers not far from the fireflies' habitat so that the larvae can feed at these fixed locations. After feeding, discard the food residue and filter paper or clean the culture dishes and other containers to prevent contamination or mold infection.

[0093] The amount of food consumed by trilobite fireflies increases with age. The amount and frequency of feeding depend on the amount of food residue left after the larvae have eaten. Do not overfeed, as this will waste food, increase costs, increase pollution, and may cause disease.

[0094] Since the 1st to 3rd instar larvae are small and consume little food, the density can be appropriately increased to about 2000 larvae / ㎡. During the breeding process, it is necessary to maintain a suitable temperature and humidity, pay attention to ventilation, provide an appropriate amount of food, clean up the leftovers in time, and remove the diseased insects in time to avoid the spread of germs.

[0095] (7) Rearing of medium and old larvae

[0096] Mid- to late-stage larvae generally refer to firefly larvae of the 4th instar and above. Their rearing typically includes setting up the rearing environment and management. The rearing box setup is similar to that for breeding larvae. A 3-5cm layer of sterilized soil is laid at the bottom of the rearing box, followed by a layer of fresh moss, and then the larvae are placed inside. To prepare the sterilized soil: collect soil from firefly habitats, remove impurities such as dead branches and fallen leaves, crush it, spread it evenly to a thickness of about 5cm, and then place it in an oven to sterilize at around 100℃ for at least 10 hours. Feeding can be done in the same way as for breeding larvae, or the food can be cut into thin strips about 1cm long and 0.5cm wide, and fed directly at a rate of 2-4 pieces per square meter. When feeding directly with thin strips, feed once every 2-4 days, depending on the feeding situation, ensuring that the food is almost completely consumed without cleaning up the residue. In addition, an appropriate amount of earthworms are added to clean up any remaining residue, greatly reducing labor costs and improving rearing efficiency.

[0097] Regularly check the moss. If any dead moss is found, replace it with fresh moss immediately. Check if the spotlights cover the moss and ensure that the spotlights illuminate the moss for more than 10 hours a day. Turn the sprayer on and off depending on the soil moisture to keep the soil in the breeding box moist. Feeding can usually be done in the evening. All conditions in the breeding room should be controlled in the same way as for the breeding insects.

[0098] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for large-scale indoor artificial breeding of the terrestrial firefly *Firefly trilobite*, characterized in that: The specific steps include the following: Step 1: Construction of the breeding room. The breeding room is equipped with ventilation, heat preservation and sun protection functions. The breeding room is equipped with pools for water storage and planting native plants. The breeding room is constructed of sandwich foam board material, with an area of ​​>50㎡, a wall height of >3m, a roof height of ≥4m, and has the functions of light transmission and rain protection. The walls of the breeding room have more than three exhaust fans to ensure good air quality. The top of the breeding room has cooling spray facilities to prevent the indoor temperature from getting too high in summer. The breeding room has two layers of openable and closable shade nets on the top. The breeding room has a water storage tank to facilitate water drying, purification and oxygenation. In addition, a cement pool with a length of 2m, a width of 1m and a height of 0.5m is built to plant plants native to fireflies. During the adult stage, the adult fireflies are covered with a 60-mesh transparent net and placed in the net to mate and lay eggs. The breeding room must be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: prepare a 50g / L solution with quicklime, dissolve it, filter it through a 100-mesh screen, add a 10g / L caustic soda solution to the filtrate, stir well, add it to a sprayer, and spray the breeding room and surrounding environment for disinfection. The indoor temperature of the breeding room is set at 20-25℃, the humidity is set at 70-80%, and the water temperature for spraying is set at 15-20℃. Step Two: Divide the breeding room into multiple breeding areas using a water ditch. Construct a cement pool in each breeding area that is 1-2m long, 0.6-1m wide, and 0.4m high. The cement pool supplies water to the breeding racks. The pools are densely planted with aquatic plants for purifying the breeding water and facilitating recycling. The ratio of the planted area to the pool bottom area is 1:

3. Place multiple breeding boxes on the breeding racks in layers, and then stand the breeding racks in the cement pools. Install supplemental lighting on both sides above the breeding boxes to ensure the survival of the moss in the boxes. Use a sprinkler system to spray water from the water storage pool in the breeding room onto the breeding boxes. Use 1-2 sets of sprinkler heads for each breeding box, and control the spraying time to ensure the humidity of the breeding boxes and prevent water accumulation. The breeding boxes should be disinfected before use. The specific disinfection method is as follows: use potassium permanganate solution or bleaching powder solution to scrub the breeding boxes and other breeding-related equipment three times, and then rinse them with clean water 3 to 5 times after scrubbing. Its sprinkler system and supplemental lighting have the ability to be remotely controlled via mobile phone software. The sprinkler system and supplemental lighting work together to ensure that the soil in the breeding box is kept moist and the vegetation grows well. Step 3: Breeding insects. Lay 3-5cm of sterilized soil at the bottom of the breeding box, then lay a layer of fresh moss on the soil. Rinse the insects two to three times with clean water and place them on the moss in the breeding box. Illuminate the moss with a supplemental light for 10±0.5 hours every day, keep the soil in the breeding box moist with a sprayer, feed them two to three times a week, and remove any leftover food in a timely manner. Step 4: Pupal Management. During the prepupal stage, fireflies will seek suitable places to build nests during the larval stage. Use sterilized soil to create an environment conducive to pupation. During this stage, keep the soil moist, pay attention to ventilation, and do not feed them. Observe the breeding box before pupation. After 50±3% of the fireflies have built nests, seal the breeding box with a mesh after pupation. The density of fireflies during the pupation stage is 500±20 per square meter. Step 5: Management of adult fireflies and mating / egg laying. One to two days after the fireflies emerge as adults, transfer them to a plastic box. Place adult habitat and egg-laying medium in the box, along with food for the adults. Change the food daily. After the adults have laid their eggs, remove any dead adults. Adults need to be fed daily with a 5% sucrose solution made from sucrose and cooled boiled water. To use the solution, soak a cotton ball in the sucrose solution, remove the cotton ball, and place it in the plastic box. Step Six: Egg Hatching. Place 2-5cm of sterilized soil in the incubator, place the medium containing the eggs on the soil surface, and then cover the medium with moistened toilet paper and gauze. Place it in a well-ventilated environment with a temperature of about 20℃ and an ambient humidity of 60±2% for hatching. After hatching, transfer the larvae to the breeding box. The incubator should be 15×10×5cm in length, width and height. The hatched insects should be transferred to the breeding box in time. Step 7: Rearing newly hatched larvae and young larvae. Divide the rearing box into small compartments arranged in a 3*3 or 3*4 pattern. Raise the larvae in the small compartments of the rearing box. When rearing, chop the food and put it into the rearing box at multiple points, feeding at fixed points and times. Adjust the amount of food according to the amount of uneaten food after the larvae have eaten. Clean up the uneaten food in time to keep the environment clean. For newly hatched larvae and larvae before the third instar, put hiding places in the rearing box. The rearing density is 2000±100 larvae / ㎡. Step 8: Raising medium and old larvae. Transfer the larvae to the rearing box. Wash the food, roughly cut it, and put it into the rearing box. The larvae will find and feed on their own. Feed them at 9 pm and twice a week. Clean up the leftovers before 8 am the next day after feeding. The rearing density is 500±15 larvae / ㎡.