Let’s learn about amazing insects in Jinyun Mountain at night
2024-05-29 15:14:24
CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Grain Full is the second solar term in summer, after which the temperature will climb and the precipitation will gradually increase. The nights in summer are good times to view a great variety of insects in the hills. Today, we’ve invited Jinyun Mountain ranger and villager Long Jie to give us a guided tour of Jinyun Mountain, the kingdom of lovely creatures in summer.
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‘Jinyun’ refers to red clouds in Chinese. As the sun set, Jinyun Mountain shrouded in the red clouds presented a magnificent view, and the lovely insects in the mountain started to come out.
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For us, Long Jie (right) is the ‘Zhang Zhongxiang’ (former editor-in-chief of CCTV's Man and Nature) in the ‘animal kingdom’ of Jinyun Mountain. Though he cannot speak Mandarin correctly, he has a good knowledge of the names and habits of different insects. He gave us an exciting and fun introduction to the insects and shared with us their interesting nicknames.
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A child was stopped by Long Jie when he was about to catch a beetle appearing out of the grass. The beetle is called the bombardier beetle, commonly known as the stink bug, which will break winds with a temperature of up to 100℃ whenever in danger. The high temperature will burn the human skin and we had better stay away from bombardier beetles, said Long Jie.
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Inchworm, also called ‘Cun Cun Chong’ by the local villagers in Jinyun Mountain, is named after its crawling movement that makes it look like a measuring instrument, said Long Jie. Inchworms usually take a little bit of a leaf so that the leaf smells and attracts other insects. At the same time, inchworms will stand still with their bodies straight, disguising themselves as branches to attract their prey. They will immediately start their predation once other insects reach their hunting range.
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Guess how many insects are shown in this picture? Many of you may answer one. In fact, the withered branch under the green leave is a type of insect called a stick insect. The slender shape that resembles bamboo enables the stick insect to protect itself from their natural predators.
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Slow-moving, stick insects usually sit quietly on branches during the day and feed on the leaves of plants at night. Due to their resemblance to small branches, most stick insects are only discovered when crawling. When they are under attack and about to fly, they will wear bright colors on their wings to confuse their enemies, which has been developed as a way to escape from danger by many insects.
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A snail, moving with a long shell on its back, is eye-catching. You may find it strange that the shell of this snail is quite different from those of others in shape. This kind of snail is a door snail (Clausiliidae), also known as the ‘pipe snail’ as it looks like the long-stemmed Chinese pipe used by the elderly in rural areas, Long Jie answered.
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Another uniquely shaped insect caught everyone's attention. The bipalium worm is commonly known as the spatula for the shape of its head. Living in dark and humid environments, they are also known as earthworm killers and prey on small animals and organic matter in the soil. The bipalium worm usually kills an earthworm by first wrapping itself around the earthworm and then secreting digestive juice. Experiments have proved that with a strong regenerative capacity, the pieces of a turbellarian worm can develop into completely new worms.
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What a beautiful and colorful summer night in the insect kingdom of Jinyun Mountain! The residents here are as tenacious and tough as these amazing creatures, living happily and harmoniously with nature.
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The village song of Jinyun Village in Chengjiang Town, Beibei District, Chongqing Municipality, Jinyun Village in Jinyun Mountain, was officially released recently, which is collectively created by the villagers of Jinyun Village, including Long Jie (second left).
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The villagers sang Jinyun Village in Jinyun Mountain after dinner. With the enchanting view of the sunset and the beautiful melody of the song, the village was immersed in a romantic and leisure moment of its own. In the old Jinyun Mountain, the villagers have written a new chapter in the ecological civilization construction and green low-carbon development of Jinyun Mountain with their passion for lives and homes. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)
Editor:江夷玮