A living brooch, also known as a ma'kech, makech, and maquech, is a

brooch A brooch (, also ) is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with vitreous enamel, ...

made from a living beetle of the genus ''

Zopherus ''Zopherus'' is a genus of beetles comprising 19 species. They live in the Americas and are adapted to wood-boring. Distribution Species of ''Zopherus'' only live in the Americas, where they are distributed from Venezuela to the southern Uni ...

'' (one of the three genera of

ironclad beetle Zopherinae is a subfamily of beetles, commonly known as ironclad beetles. Together with the subfamily Usechinae, they have been treated historically as a family, but have recently been joined by several additional taxa, making the Zopheridae ...

), particularly the species ''

Zopherus chilensis ''Zopherus chilensis'', also commonly known as the ma'kech or jewelled bug, is a species of ironclad beetle in the family Zopheridae. Despite the name "''chilensis''", nearly all of the known specimens have been found from Mexico to Venezuela. ...

''. The brooches are decorated with paste gemstones, bric-à-brac, and imitation gold, and are tethered to a woman's blouse by a small chain. Such brooches have traditionally been made in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico as objects of personal adornment. They do not move quickly, are very hardy, and are capable of living for over 3 years without food or water.

References

{{reflist Jewellery Insects in culture Cruelty to animals