This product is the ootheca of the insects from the Mantidae family, including the Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensi Saussure), the spotted mantis (Statilia maculata (Thunberg)), the European mantis (Mantis religiosa L.), or the giant Asian mantis (Hierodula patellifera (Serville)). They are commonly referred to as "Tuan Piaoxiao", "Chang Piaoxiao", and "Hei Luohui", primarily produced in tropical regions, with a few temperate varieties. In China, they are mainly found in the southern provinces and Taiwan. They are harvested from late autumn to the following spring. The ootheca is immersed in boiling water to kill the eggs, or steamed thoroughly and dried for use.

Tao Hong-jing mentioned that the mantis is commonly known as the stone mantis, which lays eggs wherever it encounters trees, with those on mulberry trees being the best. Li Shi-zhen noted that the mantis has arms like axes, unyielding in the face of obstacles, hence the name "Dang Lang". The ootheca is called "Piaoxiao", describing its light and floating shape like silk.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet and salty, neutral. Act on liver and kidney meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Securing essence and reducing urination, tonifying the kidneys and aiding yang.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for seminal emission, enuresis, and other syndromes. This product is sweet and salty, entering the kidney, and can tonify the kidney to constrain seminal emission and reduce urination. It is suitable for syndromes such as seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, and turbid urine caused by kidney deficiency and inability to retain. For treating kidney deficiency seminal emission and spermatorrhea, it is often used in combination with Asiatic Cornelian Cherry Fruit, Dodder Seed, Flatstem Milkvetch Seed, and palmleaf raspberry fruit to enhance the effect of tonifying the kidney to constrain seminal emission. For treating infantile enuresis, it can be used alone as a powder, taken with rice water. For treating mental confusion, frequent urination, enuresis, and turbid urine, it can be combined with Milkwort Root, Fossil Bone, Acorus, and other medicinal combinations, such as Bencao Yanyi Mantis Egg-Case Powder.
2. Used for kidney deficiency impotence. This product also has the effect of tonifying the kidney and assisting yang. It is often used in combination with Pilose Antler, Desertliving Cistanche, and Dodder Seed.
3. Other applications: Mantis egg-case, after removing impurities, is stir-fried over mild fire until crisp and ground into powder. For external use, it can evacuate pus and expel toxins, treating children's sores and boils. After the pus has formed and ruptured, and the pus has been cleared, the mantis egg-case powder mixed with sesame oil is applied to the wound to accelerate pus expulsion and reduce swelling and pain. For otitis media with excessive foul-smelling pus, after disinfecting and removing the pus, the mantis egg-case powder is mixed with borneol and borax powder in appropriate amounts and blown into the ear canal three times a day.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "It treats injuries, hernia and masses, impotence, enhances essence and promotes fertility, treats amenorrhea and lumbago in women, and facilitates the passage of urine and water."
2. Bielu: "It treats deficiency and damage in men, weakness of the five zang-organs, nocturnal emissions, and enuresis."
3. Benjing Fengyuan: "It is a medicine for the liver, kidney, and life gate, specializing in astringency, hence it is often used in formulas for male deficiency, renal failure impotence, nocturnal emissions, fistula disease, and turbid urine."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 6-10g.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

This product aids yang and consolidates astringency, so it is contraindicated for those with yin deficiency and excessive fire, or those with bladder heat and frequent urination.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains protein, fat, iron, calcium, and carotenoid pigments. The brown and yellow pigments of the thin-winged mantis both contain biliverdin and related substances, with biliverdin present in both the subcutaneous tissue and blood.