Insects · Coleoptera · Scarabaeidae

Goliath Beetle

Goliathus goliatus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

One of the heaviest insects in the world, a scarab beetle of central Africa with a pronotum striped in black and white and reddish-brown elytra. The adults fly through the forest canopy and feed on sap and ripe fruit; the larvae, which are enormous, grow in rotting wood and need a great deal of animal protein.

Weight

up to 100 g

Size

6 cm – 11 cm

Diet

Frugivore

Feeds mainly on fruit.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

RainforestFrugivore Diurnal Solitary Insect Rainforest

43countries 37parks8same family

Fun facts

GeneralOne of the heaviest insects in the world: its larvae reach 100 grams.
récordIt is among the heaviest insects in the world as an adult, and its larvae can take up to a year to finish developing before metamorphosis.
Unlike almost all beetle larvae, its own need protein-rich food to complete their development.
Despite its weight it flies easily, with the elytra closed and the wings extended through a notch at the side, like the other flower chafers.
Males have a Y-shaped structure on the head that they use as a lever in fights over females.
The larva weighs almost twice as much as the adult: between 80 and 100 g against the 40-60 g of the fully formed beetle, which makes it one of the heaviest larvae in the world.
Unlike almost every other beetle in its family, the larvae need a lot of protein: in captivity they are reared on dog or cat food, and they sometimes cannibalise one another.
The adult feeds mainly on sap and fruit.
Males have a forked horn on the head with which they fight for access to food and to females; females have none and use their wedge-shaped head for digging.