The ground beetle is the larva of the antlion, a member of the family Myrmeleontidae. It is mainly distributed in South China, Taiwan, and Sichuan. The ground beetle has high medicinal value and is used for treating urinary disorders, malaria, abdominal masses, scrofula, and tuberculosis.
Currently, the number of these insects is very scarce and they are almost impossible to cultivate artificially, making them highly valuable.
Ground beetles prefer sandy areas and are commonly found in sandy soil at the foot of cliffs.
Ground beetles can be caught all year round, mostly in summer and autumn when the antlions are active. After catching them, they are lightly stir-fried over low heat until the bodies expand.
Ground beetles are light and have a soft and crispy texture. They have a slight odor and a slightly salty taste. The best ones are large in size, intact, yellow-brown in color, light in weight, and without sand or mud.
The adult antlions live in grassy areas and fly mostly at dusk. The larvae inhabit dry sandy soil, creating funnel-shaped burrows where they lie in wait at the bottom of the burrow and prey on small insects that fall in. They are distributed in South China, Taiwan, and Sichuan.
The true appearance of ground beetles is not easily seen by ordinary people. They like to "hide" in the soft sandy soil under old houses and at the foot of cliffs. You can often find them in the sandy soil at the foot of old houses or in the crevices of cliffs in Meitan Township!
Ground beetles usually hide quite deep. They create funnel-shaped traps in sandy soil and hide at the bottom to prey on mosquitoes, flies, and other small insects.
They lie in ambush, and as soon as a small insect accidentally falls into the trap, it is stabbed and sucked to death by their sharp jaws, just like a "vampire" in a movie!
The adult stage of the ground beetle is called "antlion". It may sound familiar as it often flies into houses inexplicably at night and circles around the ceiling light. It turns out to be the adult stage of the "antlion".
