Insect fighting is an activity involving insects (and sometimes, arachnids, centipedes, millipedes and mollusks). It is practiced in areas in China, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. Cricket fighting is a traditional Chinese pastime that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Originally nurtured by emperors, it was later popularized by commoners.[1] It is also a casual activity for youth in western countries and is known colloquially as "bugfighting".
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Individuals may hoard many different type of insects for the fights. Some of the most popular are the Stag Beetle, Rhinoceros Beetle, Kabutomushi, Jerusalem Cricket, and Goliath Beetle, as their sheer size and jumping ability make them formidable opponents. They are trained by their owners to become stronger and more aggressive. A training method involves using supplemental feedings of sugar from sugarcane (their favorite food and nesting areas). After the training is complete, the owners will take them to the designated fighting arena and the insects fight each other.
With beetles, a small noisemaker is used that duplicates the female's mating call (fighting beetles are male). Getting beetles to fight requires patience and is much different than other types of animal fighting. The loser is pushed onto its back by the winner, pushed off of a tree limb, or a predetermined area, or is killed.
The fight can take place on a log, stump, or circle drawn in the dirt, anywhere that is a small ring. Fights are won either by one insect pushing the other out of the ring, one of them running out of the ring (which rarely happens), or one of them being flipped over during the fight. With beetles, it is extremely rare for one to die during a fight.