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The huhu beetle (Prionoplus reticularis) is a longhorn beetle endemic to New Zealand. It is a large, visually distinctive species whose adults reach up to 5 cm (2 in) in length. It is widespread throughout New Zealand, occurring up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in altitude. Although it is unable to eat as an adult, the larva feeds and burrows in the dead wood of trees, almost entirely feeding on gymnosperms such as rimu and Monterey pine. As a larva, it can grow to sizes of 5 to 7 cm (2.0 to 2.8 in) and has a cylindrical appearance with a creamy colour. During this stage, it is high in protein and fat, is edible, and has been described as tasting similar to peanut butter. It has a history of consumption by the Māori, with the larva being consumed either raw or traditionally cooked in a hāngī. The adult lives for roughly two weeks. It is nocturnal and is strongly attracted to light, such as that produced by human habitation. (Full article...)

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In the news

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On this day

September 3: Victory over Japan Day in China (1945)

Malcolm Campbell

36 BC – The Sicilian revolt against the Second Triumvirate of the Roman Republic ended when the fleet of Sextus Pompey, the rebel leader, was defeated at the Battle of Naulochus.
1411 – The Treaty of Selymbria was concluded between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman prince Musa Çelebi.
1935 – On the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, British racing motorist Malcolm Campbell (pictured) became the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph (480 km/h).
1941 – The mass expulsion of Soviet Germans from the Volga German ASSR began.
2017 – North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test at Punggye-ri, causing a magnitude-6.3 earthquake.

Edward Coke (d. 1634)
Paddy Fox (b. 1933)
Dominic Thiem (b. 1993)
Pauline Kael (d. 2001)

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Today's featured picture

The Great Day of His Wrath is an 1851–1853 oil painting by the English artist John Martin. Inspired by the Book of Revelation, it depicts the destruction of Babylon and the material world in a cataclysm. Various influences and interpretations have been suggested: Martin's son said that it was inspired by a night journey through the industrial Black Country, while the art historian Frances Carey linked its theme to the rapid growth of 19th-century London. The painting is now in the collection of Tate Britain in London.

Photograph credit: John Martin

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