Rare Arizona beetle from Santa Rita mountains pronounced extinct

The Stephan’s riffle beetle, a very rare beetle only found in a specific area of Arizona that hasn’t been seen in over 20 years, has officially been announced as extinct by the U.S. Fish and wildlife service.

Known for their oddity in creatures, the Santa Rita mountains were home to the Stephan’s riffle beetle, which can be identified by its brown, tiny shape that has dozens of small black dots on its wings.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was aware of the help needed for the beetle, declaring it needed conservation back in 1984, but their efforts were not enough and the beetle is now extinct.

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