Dozens of giant beetles hidden inside a shipment of Japanese snacks were uncovered at a U.S. airport, customs officials said Wednesday.
The live creepy crawlies, which were up to five inches (13 centimeters) long, were concealed among potato chips, chocolate and other goodies at Los Angeles International Airport last month.
The 37 creatures were likely destined for collectors of exotic insects, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said, estimating they were worth around $1,500.
"They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources," said Cheryl Davies of the CBP in Los Angeles. "Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests."
The specimens, which included scarab beetles, stag beetles and darkling beetles, will likely find their way to local zoos that have permits for such creatures, the CBP said.
Alongside its traditional cuisine, Japan has in recent years nurtured a reputation for innovative snacks, which include KitKat chocolates flavored with cherry blossom or wasabi.
But while locusts, grasshoppers and crickets do find their way onto the Japanese dinner table, especially in rural areas, beetles are not commonly consumed.
© 2025 AFP
7 Comments
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OssanAmerica
Although the headline misleadingly suggests that there are Japanese snacks with beetles in them, the article is really about bug smuggling.
Wasabi
The snacks was the beetles food for the trip.
Zaphod
Wow, I had no idea there is a market for big bugs. Humans are strange.
Namahage
Be grateful for any organic protein in American food!
garypen
Seriously? They're commonly kept as pets in Japan. They're on display in all the pet shops. There's a big market in beetle habitats and accessories, as well.
Also, schoolkids catch and keep cicadas during the summer. It's common to see young boys and their dads, wandering around, looking up at trees, trying to spot some screeching monsters to scoop up in their nets.
Nicolò
That's your biased prospective...
Wesley
The snacks may have been Japanese but was it a Japanese who shipped them to the US?
grc
Wasabi KitKat has absolutely nothing to do with this incident