African goliath beetle

Q: How much do African goliath beetles weigh?

Adult African goliath beetles have stout, oval-shaped bodies and generally weigh about 40–60 grams (1.4–2.1 ounces). They have a length of up to 100–110 mm (3.9–4.3 inches). Notably, they are nearly twice as heavy in their larval stage. The underground grubs weigh 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 ounces) and can have a body length of 114–150 mm (4.5–5.9 inches). They are one of the heaviest insects on Earth.

Q: What do African goliath beetles eat?

African goliath beetles are omnivores . Adults primarily consume sap and fruit . The subterranean larvae feed on decaying plant matter, dung, and decomposing animals. Given that they require a diet rich in protein to reach their large size, they may also be predators of other species’ larvae and perhaps even cannibalistic.

insect

Also known as: Goliathus giganteus, Goliathus goliatus

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Karen Sottosanti

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History

How much do African goliath beetles weigh?

What do African goliath beetles eat?

African goliath beetle, (Goliathus goliatus), species of large and strikingly colored scarab beetle, the larva of which is one of the heaviest insects in the world. The animal is native to the tropical and subtropical rainforests and savannas of equatorial Central and West Africa. Although smaller than its substantial larval form, the adult African goliath beetle remains among the largest of insects, ranking closely with the hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules), the titan beetle (Titanus giganteus), and the cricket-like giant wētā (Deinacrida).

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Cetoniinae
Genus: Goliathus

See also list of beetles.

Physical description

The adult African goliath beetle has a stout, oval-shaped body, which, like that of other insects, is made up of the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. It has a length of up to 100–110 mm (3.9–4.3 inches) and a width up to 75 mm (2.95 inches)—roughly the length and width of a standard soda can (355-ml [12-ounce]). They generally weigh about 40–60 grams (1.4–2.1 ounces). Males are larger than females and can be distinguished by the presence of a Y-shaped horn on their head. Females have a wedge-shaped head used for digging. The beetles have three pairs of legs with sharp, five-segmented claws that they use to climb trees and scalloped front tibiae.

Color patterns of the African goliath beetle can vary between males and females. Most individuals have a white promontum (the upper plate of the prothorax, which is the region immediately behind the head) dramatically striped with bold black lines and chitinous wing covers (elytra) that are rusty brown in color. Some have white and black elytra. Polymorphic populations of the beetle, consisting of a brown morph and a white morph, are found in Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The elytra cover large, black or brown, leathery wings. These inner wings, but not the elytra, are used for flying.

One big grubThe larval form of the African goliath beetle (*Goliathus goliatus*) is one of the largest larva of any insect, weighing 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 ounces), about the weight of three or four alkaline AA batteries.

The larval form of the beetle is a massive, bratwurst-sized grub. At its peak size before pupating, it weighs 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 ounces) and can have a body length of 114–150 mm (4.5–5.9 inches). Although the African goliath beetle is sometimes hailed as the heaviest insect, the larvae of the Actaeon beetle (Megasoma actaeon) can be even heavier.

Natural history

African goliath beetles are omnivores. Adults have sharp jaws, which they use to consume primarily sap and fruit. They climb trees and forest shrubs and can also be found in rotting logs and under forest litter. Given the large size of both the adults and larvae, African goliath beetles are common prey to lizards, frogs, rodents, birds, and monkeys.

Males frequently fight other males for mates or feeding sites using their forelegs and distinctive horns. After mating females lay their eggs in soil or decaying plant matter. The eggs hatch as grubs, and, like other beetles, the insects undergo complete (holometabolous) metamorphosis, meaning their life cycle consists of egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larvae grow rapidly, feeding on decaying plant matter, dung, and decomposing animals in the soil. Given that they require a diet rich in protein to reach their large size, they may also be predators of other species’ larvae and perhaps even cannibalistic. The larvae develop into pupae underground and then emerge from the soil as adults. Adults live about three to six months in the wild.

Threats and conservation

As is the case for the vast majority of the world’s invertebrates, the conservation status of the African goliath beetle is unknown because of lack of research; it has not been assessed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Because of its size and striking coloration, the beetle is popular with insect collectors and is thus a source of income for local peoples. Overharvesting has led to population declines in some places, and the insects are sometimes illegally trafficked and sold on the black market. Collectors particularly prize the white morph, which is in marked decline. Other threats include habitat loss and deforestation for cacao plantations and climate change impacts; scientists have urged formal assessment by the IUCN and greater local protections and enforcement of biodiversity laws.