"South Dakotans Set Fire to Effigy of Destructive Beetle"
In Custer, South Dakota, hundreds of people carrying torches set fire to a giant wooden beetle effigy in an annual event called Burning Beetle to raise awareness of the destructive impact of the mountain pine beetle on forest land in the Black Hills. The event includes a talent show and "bug crawl" and supports local arts, while the US Forest Service describes the mountain pine beetle as the most aggressive and destructive bark beetle in the western US and Canada.