Customs agents in the US seized more than two dozen giant beetles from a package. The beetles were found when postal workers heard the insects making scratching noises.
The large bugs arrived earlier this month from Taiwan at a post office in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. The box was labeled as toys, gifts and jellies.
“The specimens were some of the largest of their kind, averaging five to six inches in diameter,” said John Plummer, an agriculture specialist. “They are highly destructive insect pests.”
PHOTO: AP
In all, authorities found 26 Hercules, rhinoceros and Goliath beetles. It is illegal to ship live beetles into the US without a permit from the Department of Agriculture.
Seven of the beetles were in containers labeled by gender. That means they could have been intended for breeding, said customs agency spokesman Steve Sapp.
The sender and recipient have been identified, Sapp said. No decision has been made whether to file charges, he said.
(STAFF WRITER, WITH AP)
美國海關人員查扣了一個裝超過兩打大型甲蟲的包裹。
郵局人員聽到包裹裡有昆蟲搔抓的聲音，然後才發現裡面裝的是甲蟲。
這個從台灣寄出的包裹本月初被送抵賓州莫恩頓的一間郵局，外盒包裝上標明內容物為玩具、禮品和果凍。
「這些甲蟲算是同種類中體積最大的，每隻平均身長有五到六英吋，」農業專員約翰．普拉馬說：「他們是破壞性極大的有害昆蟲。」
當局發現，其中有長戟大兜蟲、犀角鍬形蟲，及葛利亞獨角仙等種類，總共二十六隻。未經農業部許可而進口活甲蟲已經觸犯美國法律。
海關發言人史帝夫．塞普說，其中七隻甲蟲被依照性別分裝在不同的容器中，代表牠們有可能準備被飼養繁殖。
塞普說，他們已確認寄送者和收件人的身分，但目前他們還沒有決定是否要對這兩人提起告訴。
（美聯社�翻譯：袁星塵）
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