Beetle shields

This wooden ornament is made with approximately 325 Sternocera ruficornis aequisignata beetle shields.

Every beetle female can lay 5-12 eggs, which need 2 months to come out. The released larva has five stages. In stages 1 to 4, they stay in the ground for 3-4 months where they feed on the roots of the adult host plants. In the 5th stage they come above ground, until they return underground to pupate. Adult beetles have a short lifespan of 1-3 weeks, although the entire life cycle lasts up to two years.