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Jewel Scarabs

Within the tropical montane forests of Honduras reside the insects named the Jewel Scarabs. It may seem strange to refer to an insect as a jewel; however, these bugs are actually worth money. One usually imagines an insect as being either black or brown and not so appealing. The Jewel Scarabs, on the other hand, are quite extraordinary; they range in size from about an inch to an inch and a half, and what is most striking about them is their brilliant colors. These insects display a rainbow of colors from green, pink, and red to silver and gold. Most of the specimens sell for a few dollars, but the ones that are of the brightest red and of the finest gold can go for $200-$500.

Considering the value and prestige of these beetles, the beginning of their creation is quite modest. It starts when females lay their eggs, several dozen, inside rotting stumps or logs. After they hatch, they are in a wormlike form and burrow themselves into the wood compost and feed on cellulose. In this stage they are referred to as grubs or larvae, and they develop as grubs for a year or more until they transform into pupae. In Honduras, the rainy season begins in May and this is when the adult scarabs start to emerge; at this point, the scarabs are still soft-bodied and pale in color. It only takes a few hours for their bodies to harden and produce brilliant colors, and at last reveal their jewel-like quality.

Scientists Ronald D. Cave and David Hawks have been studying these insects since 1992 and, with the help of others, have since found seven new species and rediscovered a species that was thought to be extinct. Since these insects are worth so much money, some fear that the population could be reduced by the trade. However, Cave and Hawks have found that the biggest threat is not the trade; rather, it is the loss of habitat as tropical forests are converted to farms. They believe that jewel collecting could actually slow down this process by getting the local people to regulate collecting and eventually start beetle farming. They hope that the locals will come to the conclusion that a forest full of jewels, in the long run, is worth much more than a treeless patch of land.

Chadwick, Douglas H. “Planet of the Beetles,” National Geographic (Mar. 1998) 100-119.