Rare Bug Sells for $90,000 in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) – A rare beetle known as a “black diamond” has lived up to its name for a Tokyo store. The 80mm (3.1-inch) stag beetle, distinguished by a large set of fearsome pincer-like jaws and a gleaming shell, has been sold for a record 10 million yen ($90,000), said Takamasa Suzuki, owner of insect speciality store WakuWaku Land, on Thursday. The live beetle was bought by a 36-year-old company president and insect fancier whose identity was not revealed.”He asked us to look for a really good beetle for him, and finally this one came into our hands,” Suzuki said. “He was very excited.” While stag beetles are popular with Japanese children and a common summertime sight at pet stores, few grow to the size that commands record prices.

The best are known to connoisseurs as “black diamonds” for their shape and rarity. A 79mm beetle of this kind reportedly sold for five million yen last year, Kyodo news agency said. Stag beetles usually live for three to five years, but Suzuki said larger ones may live as long as 10 years. He added that the buyer plans to turn the beetle into a specimen after it dies.