A cloud of beetles infested the town of Amapá (AP) on Sunday (7). The town is located in the north of the state, 312 kilometres from the capital Macapá. Houses were invaded and streets and pavements were covered in the insects. There were so many that one of the residents had to use a shovel and trolley to remove the insects and take them away from their homes. According to experts, the beetles usually appear during the Amazon winter period. According to them, an environmental imbalance may have caused the infestation. One example is the absence of birds, which are natural predators of the insects in the region. These beetles, popularly known as "catorras", can live for between sixty and ninety days and do not cause damage to health, say the researchers. In addition to the municipality mentioned, there have been records in previous years in the towns of Calçoene, Pedra Branca do Amapari and Laranjal do Jari.

Source: Amazon Agency