Every place in the world has a secret that no one keeps, but that people outside that place do not know, however irrelevant it may be. In Mexico nobody ever talks about a very peculiar bug that appears during the summer, the mayate.
And it is that this strange bug is more than harmless. In truth, it is an irreplaceable piece of the ecosystem, in charge of breaking down matter. It is not poisonous, it does not sting and in fact it is known for its peculiar clumsiness, since many times they fly at such speed that when they collide with a wall they fall on their backs on the ground and are unable to get up, and die shortly after.
No one talks about the mayate, but many know it, and since May these animals known as green beetles swarm in the gardens and enter the houses with a peculiar sound that even becomes hypnotizing.
These animals are often rejected because of their size, because they are considered carriers of diseases, because of the sound they emit and because of the prejudice against any strange animal that enters a house.
But at last it is redeeming itself, as there are now campaigns seeking to save this small North American endemic beetle.
- The mayate helps to recycle matter and is necessary to oxygenate the earth, at least in the regions where it appears every year.
When it hatches, it’s a white larva with a black head, and when the rainy season begins, that’s when its buzzing reminds us that no matter how far a city wants to move away from nature, it can never do so completely.
In addition to having a harmless relationship with people, this little secret of Mexico is beneficial for the hostile ecosystem of big cities.
In the field, the arrival of the mayate must be taken care of, because as a larva it can end up with certain crops, but without a doubt outside that context it is a living being that does not cause harm to anyone and that must be protected.
Don’t kill the mayate!