Michael Farmer wasn’t expecting anything unusual as he strolled through his Costa Rica property one sunny afternoon. But then, something on a guava tree caught his eye.
At first, it looked like a tiny metal trinket—shiny and polished, reflecting the sunlight like chrome. But then it moved.
It wasn’t a piece of metal at all. It was alive.
Farmer had just stumbled upon one of nature’s rarest wonders: the Chrysina limbata beetle, known for its dazzling, mirror-like shell. Seeing it up close was an experience he would never forget.
“When I picked it up, it stopped crawling and pretended to be dead,” Farmer said. “That gave me a chance to really take a closer look.”
And what a sight it was.
“It was like looking into a mirror,” he marveled. “The reflection was perfect. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
Farmer snapped a few photos of the beetle, capturing its otherworldly beauty. It seemed almost too perfect to be real.
As he later discovered, this beetle is not just rare—it’s also endangered. Once more common in Costa Rica, Chrysina limbata has suffered greatly due to habitat destruction and the unfortunate trend of being captured and sold to collectors.
Luckily, this particular beetle avoided such a fate.
“I don’t believe in selling living creatures like that,” Farmer said. Instead, he gently placed the beetle back onto the tree. Moments later, it spread its wings and flew away, shimmering in the sunlight.
Though the beetle was gone, the moment stayed with him.
“I’ve never been much of an insect person,” he admitted. “But this beetle? It continues to amaze me. I can’t wait to see another one someday.”
Michael Farmer may not have considered himself a bug enthusiast, but this breathtaking encounter might have changed that. And honestly, who could blame him?
So, what do you think about this glittering little marvel of nature? Would you have been just as amazed? Share this story with your friends and let them marvel at the wonders of the natural world!
