Encountering with the Insect Collecting Group from Jiangxi Normal University

On the last day of mid-June, after the rain cleared up, Shennongjia was enveloped in floating mist, with peaks appearing and disappearing intermittently. A few rays of sunlight sporadically pierced through the clouds, illuminating a couple of ideal roadside habitats. There, several vigorous girls, armed with insect nets, gazed intently at the small insects fluttering in the air, occasionally swinging their nets and then carefully examining the bottom for catches... They were Ye Qingxiu, Xiao Yi, and Lu Hang, graduate students majoring in biology at Jiangxi Normal University, accompanied by Shen Deming, a doctoral student in the same major and university. They were part of Professor Wei Meicai's research team conducting a survey of the base resources of Shennongjia National Park, specifically focusing on insects. Their systematic investigation of sawflies in Shennongjia has spanned over 20 years, with more than 600 species of sawflies identified in the region. This time, they chose to conduct a survey of sawflies at various locations and altitudes from June 19 to 27, and analyze the diversity of sawfly species and the distribution patterns of their communities, so as to provide scientific basis for the protection of the ecosystem in the Shennongjia area.

Their car was parked near a small bridge in Jizigou Gully, with a Qinghai Xining license plate, which surprised me, as I assumed one of them might be from Xining. Upon inquiry, I learned that they had rented the car in Yichang. Driving around to catch insects was convenient and highly mobile. The trunk was filled with various equipment for insect collection, including cameras, lighting tools, insect nets, and numerous specimen collection tubes. At least several dozen tubes already contained a wide array of sawflies.

The four of them arrived yesterday, but due to the rain, they could only do some preparatory work in the hotel. Today, with the sky clearing up, they set out early. Lu Hang mentioned that all three girls could drive well, and sometimes, when catching insects along the road, they would inadvertently walk quite far. Whoever was closer to the car would return to drive, pick others up, and head to the next location.

Shen Deming said, "Shennongjia is located in the mid-latitude northern subtropical monsoon region, with distinct climatic characteristics. It is wet and rainy in summer and mild with little rain in winter. The unique climate and geographical environment have fostered rich plant diversity, and the distribution of plant species diversity along altitudinal gradients further influences various animals that depend on them for food and habitat."

Taking advantage of the moment when the sunlight illuminated the roadside after the rain, Shen Deming and his team quickly dispersed to different habitats, held insect nets, focused on the air or searched through the shrubbery, and were ready to swoop their nets towards any targeted insect at any moment.

I held my camera, constantly capturing their insect-catching moments, and pointed out insects I saw to them. A flying insect kept buzzing around me, and I quickly called Ye Qingxiu to ask if it was a sawfly. Unexpectedly, she said from a distance that if this insect kept flying around me, it couldn't be a sawfly and was most likely a fly. She explained that flies tend to hover around people because of their body odor, while sawflies are more vigilant and generally don't approach humans.

Xiao Yi caught an ichneumon fly, and I hurried over to her. She explained,"Be careful. This type of fly has a tail stinger." She carefully maneuvered the fly into a corner of the net and then inserted a specimen tube from one direction to capture the ichneumon fly inside.

Just as we were talking, a light drizzle started to fall again. They gathered together to discuss and decided to head towards Dalongtan. Last year, their findings there were quite satisfying. We followed them to Dalongtan, and Shen Deming's driving skills were impressive, comparable to our local driver. We arrived at Dalongtan in no time, and soon after, they disappeared without a trace. Seeing that I had taken enough photos, we headed back.

In the evening, I invited them to dinner, wanting to hear about their afternoon's harvest and insights. To be honest, it's not surprising that boys like insects because they have the physical strength and are bold and meticulous. Girls liking insects, however, puzzled me a bit. In my impression, girls would usually scream and be frightened by insects. During the meal, I asked them if they had been stung by insects, and they all shook their heads. Xiao Yi said it was nothing compared to their challenging insect-collecting journey last year.

The journey Xiao Yi mentioned was a month-long insect-catching expedition across twelve provinces, starting in March last year. She and her classmates took two cars, departing from Nanchang, Jiangxi, passing through Guangdong and entering into Guangxi, following National Highway 219 all the way to Xinjiang, and then returning through Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei. They traveled over ten thousand kilometers, encountering two rear-end collisions and severe altitude sickness along the way, but no one complained. Even though her classmates drove from 8 am to 10 pm without a break on the last day, and they had not yet finished classifying the tens of thousands of specimens they collected, Xiao Yi recounted it lightly, as if she would gladly embark on such a journey again.

Listening to the girls happily sharing their insect-catching experiences, I was not only filled with admiration but also deeply moved. It also bolstered my confidence in national scientific research work. It is these enthusiastic, youthful explorers and pioneers who, through their diligent efforts and travels across the vast landscapes of our country, have contributed to the rapid advancements in China's biological research.