Smuggled Beetles Sent to the Smithsonian
Last May, a postal worker in the Philadelphia area grew suspicious of a package from Thailand that was making unusual scratching sounds. The box was labeled "jellies and toys," which just didn't fit the noises she heard. Postal inspectors x-rayed the package, and discovered 25 enormous beetles.
One of the enormous Asian beetles shipped to a Pennsylvania post office last May.
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Marc Dilullo, a 36-year-old man from Exeter Township, eventually pleaded guilty to charges of illegally importing the exotic beetles. Experts from the Department of Agriculture say the enormous beetles, had they escaped from Dilullo's possession, could have done tremendous damage to fruit and vegetable crops. Mr. Dilullo received a sentence of 3 months' probation, and had to pay a $5,000 fine for his bug smuggling activities.
But what became of the beetles? They're no longer alive, but Mr. Dilullo's exotic collection will now reside at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The confiscated Coleopterans are quite valuable among beetle collectors, and entomologists at the museum are excited to have these specimens in the Smithsonian collection.
I don’t criticize the responsibility of the authority to check for exotic wildlife that enters the country. With the threat of Asian Longhorns and other destructive insects, the entrance of such organisms can be very costly as can be seen in the clear cutting of parks to stop the spread of Asian Longhorns.
However, I do disapprove the ignorance of the article. Beetle rearing is a very popular past time in Japan and Europe. Most of the beetles are from the Dynastidae and Cetonidae families and are harmless to the environment. If there are interests from US citizens to keep them, they should be done legally and not smuggled in like a pair of cheap European sausages.
From the picture, it shows a male Megasoma (possibly Megasoma elephas).
>Experts from the Department of Agriculture say the enormous beetles, had they escaped from Dilullo’s possession, could have done tremendous damage to fruit and vegetable crops.
Ok..Megasoma is part of the Dynastidae family. A family that includes Megasoma punctulatus and Megasoma vogti, both naturally found in the southern part of the United States. Even the smaller Dynastes tityus, which if found Eastern part of the US, is part of the family. The larger cousin shown in the picture if found from Mexico and southward. Larvae of Dynastidae are saprophagous (i.e. they eat dead/rotten (PLEASE read DEAD/ROTTEN) tree logs found on the forest ground). The adults feed on tree sap and ripe fruits (the ones fallen on the ground and are “gooey”). Had they escaped, the only danger would have been the displacement of local fauna in the warmer climate of the US. However, if they could have done so, would have done so naturally since they are found in Mexico.
>The confiscated Coleopterans are quite valuable among beetle collectors, and entomologists at the museum are excited to have these specimens in the Smithsonian collection
Megasomas are quite commonly found in the collectible market. A medium size Megasoma elephas (around 10cm) goes for about $30USD. That is nothing to brag about. And I’d be highly surprised that the Smithsonian does not already have them in their collection.
It is not the first time that I read such articles. Most often, they are caught from parcels arriving from Japan. The author often describes them as fist-size Japanese beetle which is enough to make any gardeners make their own fertilizers.
Jayson
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