A woman from Magdeburg checks her garden. She makes an exciting discovery in the raised bed. Her find is causing a stir online.
Magdeburg – Something is happening in the gardens in Germany. Planting, sowing and watering are carried out diligently. The work in the spring lays the foundation for the summer. The raised bed has been enjoying increasing popularity for years because it is particularly suitable for growing vegetable plants. As a woman from Magdeburg discovered, it's not just plants that feel very comfortable there. In her raised bed she came across a rare animal including an entire extended family.
The woman sends her find to well-known biologists - Facebook users disagree
The woman immediately shares her discovery with Dr. Mark Benecke. The biologist has over 700,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram
(as of April 12, 2024)
. The natural scientist shares with them countless photos that he receives. Animals, plants and all sorts of strange observations. Recently, a mysterious find on a tree caused a stir. He has now received two submissions from Magdeburg. Users quickly agree that they show a beetle larva.
What the picture doesn't reveal at first glance: It's far from the only animal the woman found in her raised bed. She writes to Benecke about a copy including 80 siblings. The question remains, exactly what type of beetle are they? One user is sure that it must be rose beetles. Another guesses stag beetles. For one man the matter is clear: “In such quantities there must be June beetle larvae.” There are already well over 300 comments on the Facebook post
(as of April 12, 2024).
Beetles found are protected and rarely seen
The woman who found the beetle was already on the right track with her guess. Shortly after the discovery, she suspected rhinoceros beetle larvae. Benecke had no objection to that either. The lady was obviously very happy about the new roommates in her garden. In the meantime she has moved the animals into the compost so that they can snack on old roots and wood. People online are thrilled by so much love for animals. Rhinoceros beetles settled in the Rotenburg district some time ago.
According to the German Nature Conservation Association (NABU), the rhinoceros beetle is a protected species. Since the animals are mainly out and about in the evening and at night, they are rarely seen. In the garden they can often be found in the compost. Even if they get lost in a raised bed like in Magdeburg, there is no reason for gardeners to worry. The beetles do not eat living roots. Rather, they feed on dead plant material. (tch)