High-stakes beetle battles rage in North

CHIANG RAI: As the wet season makes way for cooler weather, boys and men in the northern region gather for the final rounds of the battle of the beetles.

The Rhinoceros Beetle fighting season begins with the onset of wet weather and rages on until early winter, when farmers return to their paddies to harvest their crops, according to the website of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The beetle competitions have been annual events in several nothern provinces for decades, and are particularly popular in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Lampang.

The beetle, known as Kwang in the northern dialect, has several subspecies; Kwangsong is so renowned for its…