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B E ET L E S , B UGS A N D B U T T ER F L I ES
T H E BIGGE ST BE ET LE S
Goliath,Elephant,Hercules
The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant
Goliath) are any of the five species in the genus
Goliathus. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects
on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight.
They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the
family Scarabaeidae. Goliath beetles can be found
in many of Africa’s tropical forests, where they feed
primarily on tree sap and fruit.
Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the
wild, but in captivity, Goliathus beetles have been
successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich
foods such as commercial
cat and dog food. Goliath beetles measure from
60–110 millimetres for males and 50–80 millimetres
(2.0–3.1 in) for females, as adults, and can reach
weights of up to 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 oz) in the
larval stage, though the adults are only about half
this weight. The females range from a dark brown to
silky white, but the males are normally brown/white/
black or black/white.
There are five species of Goliath beetles, with
several differ-ent subspecies: Goliathus goliatus,
Goliathus albosignatus, Goliathus regius, Goliathus
cacicus and Goliathus orientalis.
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Life cycle of the Goliath beetle

Goliathus larvae are somewhat unusual among cetoniine
scarabs in that they have a greater need for high-protein
foods than do those of most other genera. Pellets of dry or
soft dog or cat food (buried in the rearing substrate on a
regular schedule) provide a suitable diet for Goliathus larvae
in captivity. However, a substrate of somewhat moistened,
decayed leaves and wood should still be provided in order to
create a suitable medium for larval growth. The young stage
larvae (1st instar) will eat some of this material. Even under
Fig 2 Fig 3
optimum conditions, the larvae take a number of months to
mature fully because
of the great size they attain.
Fig 2 Fig 3
They are capable of growing up to 250 millimetres (9.8 in)
in length and reaching weights in excess of 100 grams (3.5
oz). When maximum size is reached, the larva constructs a
rather thin-walled, hardened cell of sandy soil in which it will
Fig 4 Fig 5
undergo pupation and metamorphosis to the adult state. Once
building of this cocoon is completed, the larva transforms to
the pupal stage, which is an intermediate phase between the
larval and adult stages. During the pupal duration, the insect’s Fig 4 Fig 5
tissues are broken down and re-organized into the form of the
adult beetle.

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B E ET L E S , B UGS A N D B U T T ER F L I ES
The Elephant Beetle
Elephant beetles are black in color and covered
with a coat of fine microscopic hairs. The hairs grow
particularly thick on the beetle’s elytra. The hairs give
the beetle’s body a yellowish color. Males have two
horns protruding from the head and another from the
prothorax. Females have no horns. The horns are used
for defense, and in competition among males for food
and mates.
In size, elephant beetles range between 7 and 12 cm
(2.75–4.75 in); males are sometimes even bigger. Males
are around 2 to 3 times bigger than the females.
The Hercules Beetle
The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules, Dynastinae)
is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests
of Central America, South America, and the Lesser
Antilles, and is the longest extant species of beetle in the
world, and is also one of the largest flying insects in the
world.
The beetle is named after Hercules, a hero of classical
mythology famed for his great strength.
D. hercules has a complex taxonomic history and has
been known by several synonyms. It is in the subfamily
Dynastinae (Rhinoceros beetles) in the larger family
Scarabaeidae (com-monly known as scarab beetles).
Not counting subspecies of D. hercules, seven other
species are recognised in the genus Dynastes.
Elephant beetle larvae develop in large decaying
logs and take up to three years to develop into adult
beetles, depending upon the subspecies. The female
elephant beetle lays her eggs inside the decaying
log or in the ground. Some weeks after that (usually
3) the eggs hatch into C-shaped larvae, white grubs
with brown heads and six legs. The larval stage lasts
around 29 months, during which time the grubs
consume organic matter. The third and last stage, the
pupal stage, lasts around 5 weeks at a temperature
of 26 degrees Celsius. The life span of an adult
elephant beetle is around one to three months.
Adult body sizes vary between 50 and 85 mm (2.0
and 3.3 in) in length and 29 and 42 mm (1.1 and
1.7 in) in width, though male Hercules beetles may
reach up to 175 mm (7 in) in length (including the
horn), making them the longest species of beetle
in the world. The size of this horn is naturally very
variable; more so than any variation of the size of
legs, wings, or overall body size in the species. This
variability results from develop-mental mechanisms
that couple genetic predisposition with nutrition,
stress, exposure to parasites, and/or physiological
conditions.
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