Rare beetle from Yambaru added to endangered list

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, announced Nov. 19th the new ‘Red List’ of threatened species.

The Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle (cheirotonus jambar), called ‘Yanbaru-tenaga-kogane’ in Japanese, has been added on the list as an endangered species. Yanbaru-tenaga-kogane lives in big trees and can only be found in the northern parts of the Okinawa main island. The insects take about three years to grow to maturity.

The insect was first discovered in 1983, and as a relatively new species became big news at the time. The biggest risk for the bug is poaching by overzealous insect enthusiasts.

00:13 30 Mar , 2024