Here are some excerpts, hope you like them! Abstract: Chinese idioms involve termites, mayflies, dragonflies, lice, fleas, mantises, mole crickets, katydids, crickets, cicadas, beetles, fireflies, butterflies, moths, earworms, bees, ants, flies, mosquitoes, flies, and midges Insect groups such as insects, idioms involving bees, ants, and flies are the most common. Some of the insect names in the idiom are no longer commonly used or have different meanings from the current insect names, such as crickets, caterpillars, cockroaches, earthworms, grubs, crickets, chickens, etc., which are explained in the article. The article also analyzes the morphological characteristics and biological characteristics of insects reflected in idioms and the unscientific aspects of some idioms. Keywords: Chinese idioms; insects; morphology; biology; explanation Insects account for the largest proportion of all animals on earth and are closely related to humans. This can also be seen from Chinese idioms. There are currently 20,000 to 40,000 idioms in dictionaries that contain a large number of Chinese idioms. According to the author's statistics, about 1% of the idioms are derived from the behavior, habits or morphology of insects, which is much higher than other idioms. Animal idioms. This article introduces the search and statistical results of Chinese idioms involving insects, and explains the special insect names in the idioms as well as the morphological characteristics and biological characteristics of insects. The proportion of insect groups and related idioms involved in idioms. After searching and summarizing more than 30,000 Chinese idioms, it was found that the insect groups that can be verified in Chinese idioms are: Isoptera (termites); Ephemeroptera; Odonata; Liceales; Flea Order; Mantids; Orthoptera, mole crickets, katydids, and crickets; Homoptera, cicadas; Coleoptera, fireflies, beetles; Lepidoptera, butterflies, moths; Hymenoptera, wasps, ants ; Diptera flies, mosquitoes, flies, midges, etc. There are about 255 idioms involving these categories. In addition, there are about 60 idioms involving "worm" and "worm". For the above 255 idioms, the proportions were calculated according to the categories involved. The results are shown in Figure 1. (Because "insect" is not necessarily an insect, even if it is an insect, it is impossible to determine which group it refers to; "worm" generally refers to "borer", and it is impossible to determine which group it refers to. Therefore, if it contains "insect" or The idiom of "wormwood" is not included.) 2. Explanation of special insect names in idioms Since Chinese idioms mostly come from ancient languages, some of the insect names are different from the commonly used names today and are even rarely known to the modern public. Now we will list the representative idioms of this type, and explain the insect names among them based on various materials. 2.1 Chi Chi Boiling Soup Chi Chi is an alias for cicadas; Chi Chi is a type of cicada with a small body, a green back, and a clear and round sound. "蜜螗豞螳" refers to the sound of cicadas chirping and boiling soup, which means unrest. 2.2 Hedgehog’s Axe. The “螗” in this idiom is different from the previous idiom. It should be “螗”, which is the abbreviation of “praying mantis”. "螗AX" means "螳AX". "Mantis ax" refers to the front legs of the mantis, so it is named because it is often held high like a man holding an axe. "Hedgehog" refers to the thorns of a hedgehog. "Hedgehog's ax" is a metaphor for small power. 2.3 The cicada is a type of cicada, with a small body, a square head, a wide forehead, and patterns. "Between the head and the eyebrows of a moth" describes the beauty of a woman's face. 2.4 The beetle shakes the tree. The beetle is a big ant. 2.5 Chu-waist grub collar The “gru” here refers to the “bug”, which is the long beetle larvae. In modern times, "grub" generally refers to grubs, the larvae of beetles. "Chu Yao Ling" describes a woman's slim figure and white neck. 2.6 Butterflies complain about crickets. "Chub" refers to crickets or locusts. "Butterfly complains about cricket" refers to the sad and lonely feeling of homesickness. In the modern entomological name, "蛟" is found in the order "Blattida", which is a type of insect that is rarely seen in my country. 2.7 Well frog and chicken. Chicken is a midge or gnat-like insect that lives on wine vinegar or sour wine. "Well frog and chicken" is a metaphor for having a limited vision and shallow knowledge. 2.8 Moth attaches to bee colony Here “moth” is related to “ant”. "Moths attached to bee colonies" refers to gatherings like ants and bees, and is described in various ways. The morphological, biological and ecological characteristics of insects in Chinese idioms The morphological, biological and ecological characteristics of insects are used to metonymize people or things in Chinese idioms, and the majority of idioms use the biological characteristics of insects. 3.1 Morphological characteristics of insects in Chinese idioms Some Chinese idioms explicitly apply the morphological characteristics of certain insects such as body shape, body color, head shape, compound eyes, beak, antennae, wings, feet and other parts. It is not clear which insect or which part is used in a few idioms about insects. This is verified and summarized as follows. 3.1.1 Body size Most insects in Chinese idioms are small in size. 3.1.2 This is used to express 3.1.3 insignificant people and things, 3.1.4 some are beyond their own capabilities 3.1.5. For example, "a fly shakes a tree", "a fly head makes a small profit", "fly name 3.1.6 is a snail profit", "a mosquito fly carries the mountain", "a wren's nest and a mosquito eyelash", "a mosquito fly passes the ear", etc. 3.1.7 Body shape The connection between the thorax and abdomen of most wasps in the Hymenoptera suborder Thin-waisted is very narrow, 3.1.8 is called "thin-waisted", 3.1.9 is used in idioms to refer to a person's slender or slender body. Such as "wasp's waist and cut back", "wasp's waist and ape's back", "wasp's waist and crane's knees", etc. 3.1.10 Body color: The body color of beetle larvae is white. 3.1.11 In idioms, it is used to describe the whitening of a woman’s neck. Such as "Chu waist grub collar". 3.1.12 Head shape Cicada has a square head and wide forehead, 3.1.13 Used in idioms to describe a woman’s face. Such as "袓头 moth eyebrow" and so on.

3.1.14 Compound 3.1.15 Eyes The compound 3.1.16 eyes of a wasp are more protruding, 3.1.17 and there are venomous stingers at the end of the abdomen. 3.1.18 In idioms, it is used to describe a person's appearance as vicious and ugly, 3.1.19 as a vicious character. Such as "the sound of bees and jackals" etc. 3.1.20 The mouthparts of the cicada are piercing and sucking mouthparts, 3.1.21 The lower lip 3.1.22 is specialized into a beak tube, 3.1.23 contains a specialized stylet 3.1.24 formed by the upper and lower jaws, 3.1. 25 Usually the beak is close to the ventral surface of the chest, 3.1.26 It is like the drooping part of the ancient crest knotted under the chin. This is the meaning of the word "cicada, crab and crab" in the idiom "cicada, crab and crab". The metaphors of "cicada, crab, crab" are contradictory or the name 3.1.27 is not true of 3.1.28. 3.1.29 Antennas The "moth eyebrows" in the idiom "瞓头 moth eyebrows" originally refers to 3.1.30 the slender, arc-shaped antennae of moths, and 3.1.31 is a metaphor for a woman's beautiful eyebrows. 3.1.32 Wings The cicada's wings are light, thin and 3.1.33 transparent. The "Chanshan" in the idiom "Chanshanlindai" refers to 3.1.34 clothes made of thin silk. "The cicada's shirt and its belt" are metaphors for elegant and gorgeous clothes; "The cicada's wings are heavy, 3.1.36 the most important thing is light" describes the confusion between right and wrong. 3.1.37 Feet The front legs of the mantis are catching feet, 3.1.38 looks very powerful, 3.1.39 but compared with the powerful strength, 3.1.40 naturally pales in comparison. The idioms "Hedgehog Mantis Axe", "Mangylash Mantis Wheel", and "Mantis Arm Blocking the Car" all mention the front legs of the mantis, 3.1.41 and they are all metaphors for overstretching 3.1.42 one's ability. 3.1.43 Others “(mosquito) eyelashes” are included in the idioms “wren’s nest with mosquito eyelashes”, “insect’s nest with mosquito eyelashes”, and “manganjie with eyelashes”. "Mosquito eyelashes" or "eyelashes" are also called "mosquito eyebrows". Mosquitoes don't actually have eyelashes or eyebrows. "The wren's nest and the mosquito eyelashes" are just a legend. 3.1.44. "Mosquito eyelashes" or "mosquito eyebrows" are just made up by the ancients. 3.1.46 is used to describe an extremely small place. If we must say that there are "mosquito eyelashes" or "mosquito eyebrows", 3.1.47 it can only refer to 3.1.48 the bristle clusters above the eyes. 3.2 Biological characteristics of insects in Chinese idioms Biological characteristics of insects used in Chinese idioms include metamorphosis, feeding habits, feeding methods, swarming, tropism, nesting, cocooning, vocalization, light, self-defense, lifespan, and egg-laying Place and method, etc. 3.2.1 Metamorphosis Insects molt and metamorphose several times in their life. The idiom "golden cicada sheds its shell" uses the cicada nymph to shed its skin and turns into an adult to metaphorically escape from the enemy's pursuit; "spider wanders into a worm" uses the spider's web and the cicada's metamorphosis to metaphorize skilled skills. 3.2.2 Feeding habits The mantis is a well-known 3.2.3 predatory insect. 3.2.4 Idioms such as "The mantis hunts the cicada, 3.2.5 The oriole follows" reflect this from the side; some insects are saprovorous, 3.2.6 Therefore There is the idiom "things rot and insects grow", 3.2.7 shows that there must be internal reasons for the occurrence of disasters. 3.2.8 Feeding method: The mouthparts of silkworm larvae are chewing. 3.2.9 They can bite mulberry leaves bit by bit. 3.2.10 Therefore, the "nibbling" in the idiom "nibbling away whales" describes gradually eating away at other people's bodies like silkworms. Benefits; some insects such as beetles can bore into wood, etc. 3.2.11 The idiom "rats gnaw and beetles eat" reflects this point, 3.2.12 "The great treacherous beetle" describes a big traitor, 3.2.13 "The beetle country" The "worm" in "harming the people" has changed to mean behavior that harms the country; the mouthparts of cicadas are absorptive, 3.2.14 can only suck in liquid food, but 3.2.15 cannot 3.2.16 chew the branches and leaves of trees, 3.2.17 The ancients believed that cicadas only drink dew. 3.2.18 They must have empty stomachs and small intestines like turtles that have not eaten for a long time. 3.2.20 Therefore, "cicada belly and turtle intestines" are used to describe the poor situation of starvation. 3.2.21 Swarming. Some insects, especially social insects, tend to gather in large numbers. 3.2.22 The idiom is used to describe the gathering of people. 3.2.23 For example, "hedgehogs gather ants gather", "bees gather ants gather", "ants gather" "Katydium Collection" and so on. 3.2.24 Insects have various tropisms, 3.2.25 This is also reflected in Chinese idioms, 3.2.26 such as "like ants attached to the body", "ants attached to flies", "fish to drive away flies", " "Moths fly to the flame", "Chasing the smelly husband", "Attracting bees and butterflies", etc. Some of them are also related to insect feeding habits. 3.2.27 Nesting Some insects, especially social insects, can build nests. Soil-dwelling termites nest in the soil, 3.2.28 can create cavities in dams, 3.2.29 endanger their safety. The idiom "A thousand-mile embankment collapsed in an ant nest 3.2.30" is used to describe that failure to pay attention to small problems will lead to big troubles. 3.2.32 Making cocoons Some insects can make cocoons. 3.2.33 For example, silkworms can spin silk to make cocoons. 3.2.34 Human beings have known how to use it since ancient times. The idiom "making a cocoon and tying oneself" is a metaphor for a person who is troubled and trapped; "stripping a cocoon and drawing silk" is a metaphor for seeking the occurrence and development process of things according to the order; "singling a cocoon and drawing silk" is a metaphor for a poem that is well organized, 3.2.35 clear in context or one-sided longing. 3.2.36 Sound production Some insects can make sounds.

Idioms such as "Butterflies complain about crickets", "Hush as cold as cicadas", "Horses as cold as cicadas", "Cicadas boiling soup", "frogs croaking and cicadas making noise", "cicadas wheezing and thundering" etc. use different sounds or stops of insects 3.2.37 Chirping is a metaphor for people's different moods and moods 3.2.38 or environments; "Gathering mosquitoes into thunder" is a metaphor for the noise of many people, 3.2.39 Small things accumulate into big things. 3.2.40 Luminous Some insects can emit light, 3.2.41 such as the fireflies in "Yingxue Sangying". 3.2.42 Self-defense Some insects have the ability to defend themselves. 3.2.43 For example, wasps use poisonous needles turned into ovipositors to sting 3.2.44 their enemies. In the idiom, Duozhuan means vicious, 3.2.45 and not 3.2.46 should not be underestimated. Such as "wolf fierce bee venom", "bee venom is poisonous", "tease bee to eat sting", etc. 3.2.47 Life span Some insects seem to have a very short life span. 3.2.48 For example, the ancients believed that the life span of mayflies is very short. 3.2.49 Generally it only lasts from 3.2.50 to 1 day, 3.2.51 and the longest does not exceed 3.2.52 3 days. The Chinese idiom "life and death" is used to describe the short-lived life of certain things. 3.2.53 Place and method of laying eggs Dragonflies lay eggs on water surface objects during flight. The idiom "a dragonfly touches the water" refers to something that is not done 3.2.54 deeply. 3.2.55 Defecation Flies can lick semi-liquid food while 3.2.56 excreting black feces, 3.2.57 which will contaminate white objects. The idioms "blue flies stain white" and "blue flies stain jade (bi)" are used to describe villains who use slanderous words to slander others. 3.3 The ecological characteristics of insects in Chinese idioms Some idioms reflect the relationship between some insects and the environment from the side, such as "Flowing water does not rot, door hinges do not have beetles (mouse)", "Silent as a cold cicada", etc. "The door hinge is not beetle" literally means that the door hinge that rotates frequently is not prone to borers; the "chilling cicada" in "Silent as a Cold Cicada" refers to the cicadas in late autumn that do not make a sound due to the cold weather. Several unscientific idioms related to insects. Since most idioms come from ancient proverbs, and the ancients did not have a deep enough understanding of insects, there are some unscientific descriptions of insects in idioms. Here are some examples: 3.4 Make a cocoon to bind yourself. Silkworms spin silk to make a cocoon. 3.5 Wrap yourself in it. 3.6 is a metaphor for people who originally hoped to benefit themselves when doing things. 3.8 ended up getting themselves into trouble. 3.9 is also a metaphor for binding their own hands and feet. . In fact, silkworms do not make cocoons out of asking for trouble, but 3.10 to protect the pupae that cannot 3.11 crawl or 3.12 fly. 3.13 A moth flies into the fire. This idiom comes from "Liang Shu·Dao Gai Zhuan": "Like a moth flying into the fire, 3.14 how can one burn one's body?" It originally meant to appreciate dedication. Nowadays, it is generally used as a metaphor for seeking death, 3.15 seeking self-destruction. In fact, 3.16 is not a moth's devotion to the flame, and 3.17 is not seeking death, but 3.18 is because most moths have phototaxis. People take advantage of this habit and 3.19 use black light lamps (whose wavelength is more suitable for the vision of insects) to attract moths. 3.20 It can be used not only to investigate the types and quantities of pests, 3.21 but also to hunt pests or collect moth specimens 3.22 . 3.23 Live and die. The ancients believed that mayflies live and die. 3.24 This is actually a misunderstanding. Mayfly larvae (larvae) live in the water for one to three years or even five or six years before turning into adults and flying out of the water. Of course, its adult life span is very short. The shortest life span of 3.26 is only a few hours, and the longest life span of 3.27 is only six or seven days. Perhaps due to limitations in understanding, 3.28 the ancients only noticed the adult stage of mayflies, 3.29 therefore 3.30 considered mayflies to be "live and die". 3.31 Cicada belly turtle intestines The idiom "cicada belly turtle intestines" is used to describe the situation of poverty, 3.32 because the ancients believed that cicadas only drink dew, 3.33 must have an empty belly.

In fact, cicadas do not live by drinking dew, but 3.34 use their sucking mouthparts to pierce the twigs of trees, 3.35 to suck the sap of trees, 3.36 therefore they are trees