Goliathus goliatus ()

About

These adorable giants belong to the scarab beetle family and consist of six tropical species as well as a multitude of described subspecies and colouristic variants. They are favoured by collectors and pet beetle lovers, and also bring a little "wow" to animal exhibitions.

Goliathus goliatus beetles are one of the biggest scarab beetles on Earth. Males are known to grow up to 12 cm long, while females can grow up to 10 cm. Despite their size, they are capable of flight, although it is not a pleasant experience for human ears. Males possess a Y-shaped horn-like structure on their heads. The pronotum of this species is usually black with white vertical stripes, while the forewings can be white or dark.

They feed on tree liquids such as sap, but also have a sweet tooth for ripe fruit (especially marula trees). Their offspring can be two times heavier than their parents and take up to 8 months to fully develop into a pupa. Later, metamorphosis occurs after around 10 weeks.

Their habitat consists of equatorial forests and sub-equatorial savannahs. Their area of distribution covers Middle Africa.