On April 13th, Guangzhou Customs recently intercepted a passenger illegally bringing 333 beetles into the country through the Baiyun Airport port of entry in Guangzhou.
During routine inspection of an arriving flight, customs officers noticed abnormal images in the X-ray scan of a passenger's luggage. The images revealed numerous objects with unique shapes and distinct angular features, suspected to be beetles.
Upon inspection, customs officers found several cardboard boxes of various sizes in the passenger's luggage, each containing multiple beetles, with some still showing signs of activity.
After professional identification, these beetles were confirmed to belong to 13 different species, including the Atlas rhinoceros beetle, the orange-backed stag beetle, the Neptune rhinoceros beetle, and the Hercules rhinoceros beetle.
It's worth noting that none of these beetles naturally inhabit China; they are all considered alien species.
The Atlas rhinoceros beetle is one of the larger species, with adult males reaching lengths of up to about 11 centimeters. Due to their unique appearance and relatively large size, they are quite popular among insect enthusiasts.
Customs authorities remind travelers that, according to relevant laws and regulations, it is illegal to import alien species without approval, and bringing or mailing live animals and plants into the country is also prohibited.
