As night falls in Luocheng Park in Luannan County, Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province, insects begin a summer chorus.
A shield bug (Pentatomidae), also known as stink bug, quietly sheds its exoskeleton and reaches maturity from a nymph. The shield bugs undergo four stages in their life cycle: eggs, nymphs, shedding and maturation, adults. During the shedding period, they go through five molting processes that begin in summer.
In late October, as food sources decrease, they begin to look for a warm place to hibernate over the winter. Shield bugs hibernate from late October until late April, when they re-appear to mate and the life cycle begins again.
(All photos via CFP)
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