British couple find exotic insect in broccoli package

May 28 (UPI) -- A British family said they were shocked to find a package of broccoli that had been in their refrigerator for more than two weeks contained an exotic insect -- and it was still alive.

Scott Wisdom and Maria Barlow said the broccoli had sat for too long in the fridge at their Plymouth, England, home, so they were preparing to throw it away when Barlow spotted a brightly-colored bug inside the plastic packaging.

Wisdom posted photos of the insect on Facebook, where friends identified it as a red palm weevil. The insects are native to Asia but were accidentally introduced in Spain in 1994, eventually becoming widespread through the Mediterranean region.

The couple said they believe the bug was inside the package when they purchased the broccoli from a Tesco store May 10.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency said the weevils do not pose a threat to humans or animals, but they are known to be dangerous to several local plant species.