Doubling as a pet and fancy brooch, the jewel-studded beetle is a common accessory in countries like Mexico. They’re not too popular in America, though.
An American woman found this out the hard way, when her living piece of jewelry was confiscated, upon her entry back into the States, from Mexico. The dazzling bug was freely crawling on the woman’s sweater, but the gold chain attached to a safety pin kept it from venturing too far.
Covered in gold and pricey gemstones, the blinged-out insect was confiscated by pest-control, because its owner didn’t have the proper documents. She received no fine, but she’ll definitely regret spending money on live jewelry.
Jewel-studded beetles and other bugs are considered common in Mexico and have been for centuries.
