In his article "Jewel Scarabs", National Geographic, February 2001, Ronald D. Cave reports about the jewel scarabs of Honduras's tropical montane forests. Researchers studying these animals discovered at least seven new species since 1992.
These bugs are collected because of their impressive colors. There are even silver and gold ones that can cost as much as US$500. But the biggest threat to scarabs is the loss of habitat as tropical forests are converted to farms.
When I see these photographs, I wish I could be a scientist, romping in the forests, working with nature. Thank you for posting these gorgeous photos from the National Geographic website!
ReplyDeleteAlso welcome back Raquel!
I have the same thought as Denise.
ReplyDeleteIt feels great to venture into forests to discover and study new species.