In Shaoguan, it recently reappeared after being declared extinct 41 years ago!

The Cheirotonus was declared extinct in China 41 years ago, but
this rare giant beetle was recently discovered in Shaoguan Lechang.

Let's take a look!

 

The Cheirotonus

 

A Lechang resident recently discovered a giant phototaxic beetle on the mountain, which had an odd appearance. He searched the Internet for information on this enormous insect out of curiosity, he was shocked to discover that the Cheirotonus was a second-class protected species in China. He immediately got in touch with Lechang Forestry Bureau's Wildlife Protection Division to let them know about the specific circumstance. 

 

The Lechang Forestry Bureau's staff describes the Cheirotonus as a sizable beetle whose larvae eat rotting wood. Additionally, the Cheirotonus has a weak reproductive capacity and has particularly strict habitat requirements, which makes it extremely rare and valuable. 

 

Due to its rarity and protection as a national second-class protected species, the Cheirotonus was declared extinct in China in 1982. The population of the Cheirotonus has been spotted in a number of locations since September 2nd, 2004, when Jiangxi Field Surgery Expedition Team first discovered it in Guanshan Nature Reserve. 

 

The Cheirotonus

 

Up to 16 centimeters long, the Cheirotonus that was saved this time, which has an oblong-elliptic body with a broad, outward-expanding dorsal plate of the prothorax and a deep, serrated lateral margin. Its forefoot is unique (typical of male insects), its head is small, its mouth is hidden by the base of the lip, and its antennae are ten segments long. The color of its body is dark green with a shiny metallic brilliance, whose elytra are nearly black, mixed with many light yellowish-brown irregular spots. It is healthy and alert with no visible scars, and the circumstances are favorable for release. Therefore, forestry staffs returned it to its natural habitat in a short time.

The Cheirotonus is up to 16 centimeters long.

 

As a creature with "environmental indicator function," the Cheirotonus is very particular about its living conditions and only manifests in locations with excellent ecological conditions and clean water sources.

 

The re-discovery of Cheirotonus in Lechang manifests that the county has achieved great progress in its local ecological environment construction and biodiversity preservation. The environment is now getting better and better, and the Cheirotonus has also settled here!