Although it looks ugly, like a cockroach, it is not only insignificant but also annoying, but in the insect world, it is a star that lives on land, water and air. It can swim in water, crawl on land, and fly in the air. It has extraordinary abilities that few other insects can match.
Pictures from the Internet
It is not only a small pet for children, but also a good drink for people and a good medicine for treating diseases.
This small insect likes to live in rice fields, ponds, ditches, streams and other water bodies, especially in wet and cool places with many weeds, where it is easier to find this small insect. Generally, when we catch loaches , we can catch a lot of these small insects by scooping out the water in the ditch.
Pictures from the Internet Invasion and Deletion
This small insect is black in color, has an oval-shaped "armor", is streamlined, and is very good at swimming. We put it in a bowl filled with water, and it will keep swimming around the edge of the bowl, turning around and around, as if it will never get tired. No matter how dirty the bowl is, it can be wiped clean even if it is turned around in it for a long time. Watching them swim, it looks like they are washing dishes, so people call them "dish-washing bugs."
Pictures from the Internet Invasion and deletion
It is a well-deserved diving master. Although it has no gills, when it is resting, it does not need to frequently show its head to breathe, because it has a special ability.
We often put the dishwashing bugs we catch in a basin to raise them, and usually feed them some tadpoles or earthworms. Although they are not amazing in appearance, they are very ferocious in the water. As soon as the food is dropped, they will swarm up and bite the small insects into pieces in an instant and eat them all. That kind of power is comparable to that of African piranhas.
Pictures from the Internet Invasion and Deletion
The dishwashing bugs we keep in the basin often suddenly disappear without a trace, which makes us very confused and search the room with no results. Where can they go? We are puzzled.
Only when I grew up did I realize that the dishwashing bugs had flown away. They have strong flying ability. In order to find a better living space and avoid inbreeding, on summer nights when the moon is sparse, they will follow the bright light, spread their wings and fly into the sky. When they find wetlands such as ponds, streams, swamps, etc. on the way, they will swoop down and enter a new environment to thrive.
It is said that dishwashing bugs can fly over a distance of more than 20 kilometers, and can spread further if they use wind power.
Dishwasher bugs are usually fried and eaten. First remove the head, feet and wings, fry them until crispy, then put them in your mouth and chew them. The body is crispy and the belly meat is tender and smooth. It is the best dish for drinkers.
Pictures from the Internet Invasion and deletion
In childhood memories, we rarely eat these little bugs because there was little oil at that time and oil was very precious. We really couldn’t bear to use oil to fry these little bugs.
I often hear old people say that dishwashing bugs are a good medicine and have the effect of nourishing yin and replenishing the kidneys. Especially for the elderly who urinate frequently at night and children with enuresis, eating dishwashing bugs has miraculous effects. Therefore, in many places in Guangdong and Guangxi, people also call it "the urine bug".
We still like to treat them as pets, put them in a bowl or basin, and watch them spin in circles and watch them move up and down very flexibly. It is also a kind of enjoyment.
Pictures come from the Internet. After I joined the work, I found out that this kind of bug is the famous dragon louse , which is a high-end dish on the dining tables in the Pearl River Delta region. In the 1980s and 1990s, it sold for tens of yuan per pound. This dish was usually served when entertaining distinguished guests.
Due to water pollution and man-made overfishing, there are fewer and fewer wild dragon lice. Sometimes when I go back to my hometown and stand by the ditch, I never see the same scene as when I was a child: the dragon louse suddenly emerges from the water, takes a breath, turns over and plunges back into the water. One came out, and the other plunged back in. From time to time, small splashes of water splashed on the water, creating slight ripples.
I miss the little helpers who help us "wash dishes", I miss the little pets that bring us joy, and I miss the beautiful ecological environment of my hometown.
