TRANSFORMATION OF LONGHORNED BEETLES

[Anchor Lead]

Longhorned beetles are a natural monument and a critically endangered species. This valuable insect undergoes natural transformation as it grows into an adult. This rarely observed sight has been caught on camera by a research institute in Gangwondo Province. Take a look.

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This massive tree has many holes on it. They are marks left by something that has crawled out of the tree. Through a tiny hole, a longhorned beetle sticks out its head. It’s getting ready to come out to the world. First its forelegs pop out and the beetle gnaws away the wood. On Day 6 The 8 centimeter long male is completely out of the tree. It’s very rare to capture this whole process intact on camera.

[Soundbite] Lee Dae-am(Institute Chairman) : "We need to know how long the process takes so they can be released to the wild. This tree experiment is part of that research."

The research institute introduced a pair of male and female beetles to this tree 4 years ago. Two offspring first emerged last year while six more came out this year. Inside this aged poplar tree are more beetle larvae preparing for a metamorphosis into adults. Until now it was unclear how long it took for longhorned beetles to grow in the trees and penetrate out of them. The latest study has found that it’s about 4 years.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lim Jong-ok(Wonkwang University) : "The more data accumulated on natural monuments and endangered species, the better it is for the restoration of biodiversity."

The institute will continue its research into the beetle’s natural life cycle dependent on climate conditions in various regions including Odaesan Mountain in Pyeongchang, Gwangyang in Jeollado Province and even Russia.